Crawling Back to You
by AnAmericanMom
Summary: Set during season 4 after Jude went home from New Brunswick, I kept some things from the show but changed them slightly. This is about Tommy's side of things, as well as Jude's and what would have happened if their lives had been a little different...
1. Prologue

**A/N This chapter is a bit shorter than I usually do but it's sort of what I chose to do instead of a Summery here. It sort of sets the stage as to where our story begins. Essentially we're starting right after Jude left Tommy's mother's house while he was still locked up and continuing from that point only we're starting out on Tommy's side of things. I seemed to do that with my stories it seems since the show didn't dip into him nearly as much as they should have! Well I hope all of you who read my last story enjoy this one, and for all of you new readers out there feel free to check out my last story, The Reason. Enjoy!**

_**Crawling Back to You**_

**Re-cap/Prologue**

_"You're worthless! Worthless! Worthless! Get out!" Miriam Dutois screams, beating Tom's chest with a newspaper as he just smirks in an attempt to hide the effect her actions have on him._

_When she moves out of his way he moves towards Jude with that same hidden expression saying, "Okay, you want to stay here?! Get up close and personal with my life, just like you wanted?! Have fun!" His words and tone are bitter and meant to cut as he storms past her and out the back door letting it slam shut in his wake as he heads off to the bar._

_Next morning, Jude storms into the county jail, standing in front of the bars and he can see the inquisition before it starts, he can also see all the hurt in her eyes for all the things he'd done in the past twenty-four hours, and he's foolish enough to pick a fight instead of making up._

_"What part of 'I love you' is so hard for you to understand?" Her face is so full of hurt and confusion._

_"No see you love your prepackaged Tommy Q. Tommy Dutois? He'd never even make it past your front door." Inwardly he winces at the biting tone in his voice and the harsh words he chooses, but he believes in this moment the result is for the best._

_"That's not true. This isn't you."_

_"This is exactly me. Tommy Q is a made up name for a made up person. And I'm tired of pretending, I can't do it any more."_

_"Oh. Right. Okay, so you want to stay here, drink and get in fights? Right, well if that's the real Tommy Q, I can't be with you!"_

_"Then I guess we're done Jude."_

_"Why is it always so easy for you to throw us away?"_

_He moves to the bars, touches her as intimately as he can before whispering, "Because I'm not good enough for you," and then backs away, nodding as though he's actually paying attention to her as she screams at him. The only things he can hear are his mother's last words echoing in his head. _

The bail money had come through as she had promised that afternoon and he was reluctantly released and sent back home to his mother. Politely he let the nurse go, but kept the business card she handed him anyway, even though he's almost certain he won't use it. Emotionally he shuts down completely, Selena watches each time she visits as he seems to sink further and further into depression. He's going through the motions of caring for his mother physically as best he can on auto-pilot, even his cousin can see it. He doesn't care, he has no real interest in the life he's leading at the moment and he's all too aware of why.

They're over. He's still kicking himself for it, but at the same time he knows he's not good enough for her, not nearly good enough. Yet he can't fathom the idea of any other boy or man having her either. How does that work? That's just it; it doesn't. But his mind has been consumed by this inner battle that he isn't paying close enough to his mother's actions and before he can even register the situation the house is consumed in smoke. Choking he clears her out and calls the fire department. Thankfully they arrive before any real damage occurs, sure the kitchen is a wreck but it doesn't get past there.

He surveys the damage before talking to the EMT who's just loaded his mother into the ambulance. But his mind isn't fully in the conversation, just enough to know they're taking her in to check her out and that he should consider a home. Home; an almost foreign word for him but all it makes him think of is her. He nods as though he's actually paying any attention to the man in front of him in his uniform. He pulls his phone out the moment they're driving away and on auto-pilot still he makes the call, makes the arrangements for her to be placed in the best home possible in New Brunswick for her continued care as he retreats back into the smoke soaked house to pack his things. He needs to go home, to find home again. What will it take to rebuild his life and home? Can he handle what it's going to take? Can he do it? It's all up to _her._


	2. Chapter One

**A/N I'm changing a few things from the show around to suit this better, like how and when Megan 'kidnaps' Jude, and I really hope you guys enjoy this story! And thank you of course to all of my lovely readers/reviewers who just helped me kill the writer's block daemon!  
**

**Chapter One**

It's been over a month and a half now since she'd returned from New Brunswick with a newly broken heart once more. The source of her pain is of course none other than Tom Quincy. Who else? Every time she thinks things will be different he proves her wrong and damages her more. Yet she can't stop herself from loving him with every fiber of her being, even though she knows the out come of starting something with the notorious playboy. Even her sister was among his fame induced conquests of all people!

In the past month and a half she'd attempted to work on her album, producing it herself in his absence was well as judging for the current season of instant star, to her dismay of course. Her album hits the stores and dies almost instantly after the insane all nighters she forces her engineer Kwest to pull with her adding a million odd things to her songs that just make the music, crowded. That's the best way to describe the musical mess she's produced, sadly attaching his name to it as well.

Also in the time since she returned from New Brunswick newly single she'd developed a friendship with Megan, but something about the girl doesn't sit right with the others in her life; especially with Speid. He tries to get Sadie to listen to him about it to no avail, so when the doors of G-Major bust open and the king of attitude returns Speid and Karma both take it upon themselves to find a way into his good graces, though it's almost immediately destroyed by the fact Darius drops the bomb on him about the theme song to their reality show that he's stuck producing after the disaster of Jude's album release.

Speid sits nervously in the sound studio with his wife whispering to her his fears over Jude's current friendship with the little emo chick as they wait for squinty to arrive. Out of the corner of his eyes he sees Tom enter the studio his lips curled into an aggravated expression, his face mostly obscured by a black hoodie and what he can see of his face, it looks as if he hasn't shaved since Jude came back.

"Let's get this over with. Cheesy theme song, take one." Tom rolls his eyes lowering his head as it throbs with the skull shattering hang over currently doing a number on him. He watches the newly wed couple with a complete lack of interest in this entire thing, but after Jude's album he doesn't have a choice. It's either this or no job at all, and this is the only shot he has to be near her, D's put her on serious probation but he wasn't willing to let his best artist go because she fouled up her first produced album. After all he was half responsible for its failure.

"Yo producer man! Are you paying any attention over there?" Speid arches a brow yelling to get Tommy's attention seeing as they'd finished the song a good five minutes ago and he hadn't even moved. Even his obnoxious cries didn't gain a response from the corpse on the other side of the glass. He looks at his wife and motions for her to wait there as he walks out of the booth into the studio where Tommy sits, glad it's only Tommy at the moment, and the camera crew had taken a five minute break. He taps him on the shoulder before stepping out of reach quickly to avoid being hit. "Hey, you okay dude?"

"Like you give a damn, let's just call it a day. I'm out of here." Tom knows it risks his job but he can't do this right now. He starts for the door only to have Speid grab his arm, which even he has to admit took a lot of courage for the kid to do.

"You may not like me Quincy, but we have one thing in common a certain red head gone blonde? Man you're a mess, like worse than her. What happened?"

"I screwed up again, bad this time. Man I pushed her away when I needed her most… what the hell is wrong with me!?" He groans collapsing onto the couch leaning forward and holding his head in his hands. He knows how desperate he sounds actually confiding in this kid, but what else is he to do? Kwest is way too wrapped up on Sadie and Darius would go through the roof he knew the story.

"So apologize, it's worked every other time you've broke her heart. Hey don't get mad at me! You know it's the truth." He huffs crossing his arms over his chest defiantly as Tommy looks up glaring from beneath his hood. He can't help but feel bad for the guy as even that doesn't last long before his face falls and he looks like he's lost his soul. He'd seen Jude bummed out and broken over their problems before, but this? Tommy looked a million times worse than she ever had. After all she always had him, Kyle, Wally, Jamie, Sadie, and even Kwest. Tom didn't seem to have anyone right now. "You really love her don't you?"

"You, have no idea…" But he didn't get the chance to go into it any further before Darius came bursting through the door letting it slam against the wall in his wake.

"T! As soon as the theme song is done you are on temporary hiatus. Kwest has a handle on most of the artists and until Jude is off probation you really aren't needed in the studio. Get your head out of the sand during this time because if you aren't able to give me 200 when you're back in the studio with Jude I guarantee that not only will you not have a job here I will make damn sure you can't get a job in this business anywhere in the world. Understood?" Darius waits until he sees Tom nod dumbfounded before storming out of the studio, leaving a very confused staff in his wake.

"She's at home, you know that don't you?" Speid says quietly breaking into the silence that surrounds them in Darius' absence.

"She won't talk to me. She won't even answer my calls." He shakes his head lowering it again almost to his knees.

"When has that ever stopped you? Look I hate admitting this but you're it for each other and everyone but you two seem to know it. So isn't it time you man up and fight for the girl? You tell everyone she's _your_ girl but you keep letting her go! Right now she's there, lost, hurt, and heading down a bad road."

"What are you talking about?" His head snaps up as he narrows his crystal blue gaze at the kid, demanding to know just what he's on about.

"I just… no, we have a bad feeling about this fan she's been hanging around with. I mean sure none of us have been overly supportive of the two of you. But this is different man; none of us would go as far or feel as strong about it as this chick. She's… look she's just bad news…" His face is full of concern and even fear for his Lisa. He may not be able to stand squinty most of the time, if ever, but this was a matter of the one person they have in common. Something just didn't sit right with him about the Megan chick his Lisa is spending far too much time with.

"Speidy, phone for you," Karma peeks into the studio, not thrilled with interrupting the men as she hands the cell phone to her husband. She waits until he walks back into the sound proof booth on the other side of the glass, leaving her alone with their producer. "Did he tell you about Megan?"

"Megan? Is that the girl Jude's hanging out with now?" Tom's brows knit together in confusion as the concern now has a name.

"Yea, look I know Jude and I aren't the best of friends or anything, but even I agree with Speid on this one. There's just something… off about her… She's like obsessed, with Jude. But not just Jude, she's obsessed with you and Jude and keeping Jude from going back to you when you come home. She um, doesn't know yet that you're back." She doesn't really wait for a response, out of the corner of her eyes she sees Sadie approaching the studio and she knows better than to stick around. She doesn't even bother to excuse herself as she retreats to the other side of the glass where her husband is on the phone still.

"So just what in the hell did you do this time? I mean seriously Tom, how many more times are you going to shatter her heart?!" Sadie's hands curl angrily against her slender hips as she taps her foot impatiently in her highly expensive Italian shoes waiting to hear his response.

"It's none of your concern Sadie." He states simply, standing to his feet and staring her down as if he actually is delusional enough to believe she'll back down without hashing out the entire disaster.

"Like hell it's not! She's my baby sister, and you ripped her heart out again! Do you just like causing her pain? Do you like using her? Playing with her? She's sick now because of all this!"

"What do you mean she's sick?"

"She's been throwing up for a week straight now, running a temperature… wait… why do you even care? You broke her heart again!" If it weren't for the studio being sound proof the entire label would have heard her shouting at him now.

"I'm not good enough for her Sadie! You know it, I know it, and everyone knows it but Jude! So I let her go, she needs someone better Sades, she deserves better than me… And it _kills_ me!" His fists clench, turning white at his sides as he tries to fight the tears burning the back of his crystalline orbs.

Gritting her teeth she raises her hand and before he has a chance to even register what's happening she slaps him hard across the face leaving her hand imprinted red and angry across his stubbled cheek. "You're the biggest idiot on the planet! I was wrong and so are you Tom. You two are meant for each other and losing you is destroying her! I can hardly bear to leave her at home to come to work; Megan's been a life saver offering to stay with her while I'm gone. I hate that my baby sister is hurting so bad I can't even trust her enough to leave her home alone because of you!"

He rubs his hand across his burning cheek as he swallows knowing full well he deserved that and much more, but his eyes widen as she mentions Megan. "She's with her? Haven't you talked to Speid?"

"Speid's just paranoid over nothing, Megan's harmless, and she's just taking your screw up worse than Jude is all and like the rest of us doesn't want you to hurt her again!"

Before Tommy can respond Speid bursts into the studio interrupting them with a panicked expression. Instantly both of them know it's Jude. "Something's bad wrong guys, Zep just called. They got a note from Jude, coded. Tell D we had to go!" He doesn't stop to see if anyone but Karma is with him, his hand wrapped tight around her wrist as they run out of the studio keeping their cameras from following them as they don't give them time, hoping in the first cab and straight for the Harrison residence.


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N I'm changing a few things from the show around to suit this better, like how and when Megan 'kidnaps' Jude, and what happens after.I really hope you guys enjoy this story! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I don't normally post two chapters in a twenty-four period but this goes out to JENJEN87- I'm glad you are enjoying the story so much and good luck when school starts! I'll post as much as I can over the weekend. - To all, the more people that review and let me know that you love/like this story the easier it is for me to get more chapters written and post sooner!  
**

**Chapter Two**

When the couple arrives at the house they find Jamie in the front yard motioning for them to be quiet, whispering once they get close enough. "I think I heard them in the basement. Did you tell anyone?"

"Just Sadie and Lord Squinty Frown…" Speid answers softly and sheepishly.

"You told Tommy Q?! Geez Speid!" Jamie groans shaking his head before glancing towards the street again as that sapphire blue viper pulls up. His eyes roll as he motions for him to be quiet too, watching mister cool come running towards the group frantically.

"Where is she?! Is she okay?!" Tom keeps his voice down but it's easy to see he's petrified.

"I don't know, but I think she's in the basement. I heard music coming from there shortly before everyone got here. I've still got my spare key so we'll get in that way, if they're in the basement they won't hear us if we go in through the garage. But we have to be quiet; we don't know what will happen to Jude if we're discovered…"

"Lead the way." Karma, Tom, and Speid all whispered at once.

Jamie leads the group, having forced Zeppelin to stay next door, he wasn't risking his girlfriend in this, and he's even amazed Speid brought Karma with him. They'd both been suspicious of Megan from the start, but no one believed them, until now of course. Silently he prays to any deity that might be listening that they aren't too late.

Once he has the door open he ushers everyone in quietly, watching Tommy as he tries to think of a way to lure Megan upstairs so she can't hurt Jude when they try and catch her. Then a grin spreads across his features as he gets what he hopes is his best plan ever. He motions for everyone to lean in close to him as he whispers his plan. He can see Tom's expression change throughout, but he doesn't protest. He simply nods when Jamie's finished explaining and sets out to do as he's been told, the others getting into position.

Tommy goes back out the way they came, entering again through the front door calling out for her, keeping his voice calm. "Jude, we've got to talk!"

He continues to call her name until he hears the basement door open and shut as he rounds to the kitchen. He remembers the girl; he hadn't put the name with her until now. It was the same girl who'd helped out Jude when she'd been running from the cameras. That day he'd been grateful, and now he wants nothing more than to tear her from limb to limb for mistreating _his_ girl, but he plays it cool. He opens his mouth to speak but she cuts him off before he can even utter a syllable. "Well, well, well; if it isn't Lil' Tommy Q. Jude doesn't want to see you, and don't you think you've done enough damage? She's over you pretty boy."

"Then let her tell me that. Where is she?" He moves towards her, his eyes catching the reflection of a knife held behind her back in the toaster behind her.

"She's safe, away from you. She's working on her new album; we're working on it actually. See? She doesn't need _you_ anymore. We'll produce her new album and it'll be ten times better than anything you two did together." Her eyes are narrowed on him, much like any predator preparing to strike.

"Then let me see her, let her tell me this. Megan isn't it? No offense, but I don't know you and I certainly don't trust you. If she wants me out of her life, if she's washing her hands of me then I need to hear it from her." He's trying his best to keep the psycho's attention on him and not draw attention to the others as he watches them sneak past Megan now, silently slipping down the basement stairs as the girl was stupid enough to leave the door to the basement cracked. It made it easy to go down undetected, so long as Tommy could keep her talking.

They reach the bottom of the stairs to find Jude bound and chained to a pole, blindfolded and breathing so heavily against the duct tape covering her mouth it's a wonder she hasn't passed out yet. Speid and Jamie move quickly, Jamie searching for a way to unlock the chain without making noise while Speid starts untying her hands leaning in to whisper into her ear. "Don't make a sound dude; we don't want to draw psycho's attention to your rescue."

She nods as they finish removing her bindings. She leans towards them all whispering, the pain and weakness evident in her voice more than she'd like. "What's distracting her so long? Who else is here?" She can hear a second voice but from here she can't tell who it belongs to.

"She's having it out with Squinty." Speid fights the smile that wants to crawl across his lips at the image they'd seen before they'd ventured down here to rescue the girl.

"Tommy's here?!" Her aqua blue eyes widen as she gets to her feet the boys tugging her upstairs. She says nothing further as they reach the top and she's able to see for herself that he's here. She's barely out of the basement door and her gaze locks with his for a split second, in that one second she can read him like an open book and it leaves her a sea of mixed emotions.

She's dragged out the back door quietly, but the moment she knows she's out of Megan's ear shot she pulls from the others and begins her protest. "We can't just leave him in there with her!" She shouts in a hoarse whisper as she makes her way back to the door they'd just exited from.

"Jude!" Jamie calls, grabbing her by the wrist and stopping her before she can enter. "Are you insane? You can't go back in there with her! Tommy can handle himself until the police get here."

"I'm not leaving them in there together! Now let me go!" She pulls from him abruptly and runs back into the house before anyone can physically stop her.

She gasps, taking nearly all of her effort not to scream as she enters the kitchen again as Megan catches Tommy off guard, grabbing him from behind and holding the knife against his throat. "I knew it! I knew you'd come back for him! You lied to me! You said you were over him! Why? After what he's done to you, why would you want him?!" The rapid rising and falling of octaves coming from Megan are as insane as her actions.

"I didn't lie! I am over him, but that doesn't mean I don't care about him! He's still my best friend. Besides, if you do this there's no hope for you. They'll lock you up and throw away the key. The others have already called the police, but if you let him go now we can tell them it's all a mistake. But if you hurt him, do you really think he'll do anything other than make sure you rot in prison?" Jude hopes that Megan buys this, crossing her fingers figuratively that the nutcase in front of her clutching the most important person in her life. Her mind in this instant flashing back to the rehearsal space when Hunter set her up, when Tommy had to face this same situation, now she knows how he felt; not that she'd let him know it. Her words were true, only she wasn't over him, not even close.

Megan's resolve starts to falter, she starts to doubt her own actions, this causes her to loosen her grip on Tommy just slightly and be distracted for the moment. He's smart enough to feel the change and uses it to his advantage. He quickly grabs her wrist twisting the knife out of her hand and freeing himself from her grasp. He tosses the knife into the sink behind Jude, keeping himself between Megan and Jude, and of course the door behind Jude. "Didn't anyone ever warn you about us?"

Before she can speak the door opens behind the pair and Jamie walks in bringing officers with him as he finishes Tommy's thought with something Sadie had once told him. "Don't try and get between them, they choose each other every time." He steps to the side opposite of Jude and Tommy letting the officers through and arrest her.


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N Once again I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers for your amazing and encouraging words! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this next chapter up but I like to stay at least two chapters ahead, between what I post and what I have completed. It's my safety net, and Chapter Five was hard to get down the way I wanted, and I lost a little time as my 21 month old son developed a bladder infection so that's made life complicated! He's mommy's little boy all the way! Anyway! On to the story!  
**

**Chapter Three**

It had been a week since he had gone to the Harrison house to help rescue Jude from Megan and her delusional obsessed mind. She'd hugged him and in the heat of the moment she'd even kissed him and he felt like his world was piecing itself back together. But later that evening at the rehearsal space she had made him eat his own words. She took back the kiss. He can still hear the conversation echoing in his head as he lies on his sofa, where he's been for the last week.

_"You need to forget this ever happened. I can't do this again. You made your choice back in New Brunswick. You can't see yourself for what you are; you refuse to see yourself beyond her words."_

_"I don't want to lose you completely Girl…"_

_"We can still be friends Quincy. When we're both ready to be back in the studio we can even co-produce again. But that's where it ends."_

His arm is lying across his eyes as he continues to play the moment over in his mind, until a loud clap of thunder shakes the room. Something inside him seems to snap as he bolts upright on the couch looking around the darkened room. Finally he can hear the rain pounding against his window and to him it's almost like a melody. He pulls himself from the sofa and walks into his office, straight to his desk as he starts digging through the mountain of papers piled there. A grin crosses over his features as he finds the leather bound book he was searching for.

Just like Jude he keeps his work in a journal, only he doesn't carry it around with him anymore. He walks back out into his living room taking a seat on the floor with a guitar and his journal in hand he begins to write. It had occurred to him that the best way to get his message across to her was the same way she truly spoke to him; through music. After all, they are musicians.

--

She hadn't spoken to him since the whole thing seemed to come crashing down around her. She's in trouble and she knows it, not only because her album tanked because of her own stupidity but because she can't stop loving him no matter how much he'd hurt her. She had a sneaking suspicion that today when she walked into the studio he was going to be there, and she had to be ready for him.

She walks into G-Major forcing herself to project an air of confidence she doesn't possess in the least. Her head is held high and there's almost a sway to her hips which are wrapped in her usual torn jeans, boots though a little more feminine these days with the heel and all, and a blue knit top that hangs off one shoulder slightly. She's grateful when the first thing she hears is, "Dude!" from a very excited Speid. Both him and his wife wave her over to the couch and she plops down beside Speid while Karma remains on the arm on the other side of her husband.

"Finally come out of hiding Jude?" Karma just jumps right into things, her way of dealing with people almost reminds one of Anya, for those of you BTVS fans you know exactly what we mean.

"Karma!" Speid looks at his wife wide eyed, his expression almost mirroring one of the many Xander might have worn in this instance.

Jude shrugs looking between the two before kicking her feet up onto the table her arms crossing lazily over her stomach before she sighs and responds to the silent questions both of her friends harbor. "I needed some time after everything, not just the basement, but Tommy… But I'm ready I think, to get back in the studio and get to work again."

"If he comes in," Karma states openly.

"What do you mean?" Jude's feet drop from the table as she turns to fold one leg in front of her on the sofa facing the couple, her brows quirked in a curious expression.

"He hasn't been in either, since we rescued you. Actually no one's seen him since you two went to the rehearsal space for privacy." Speid shrugs his shoulders, but even Jude can see the hints of worry across his playful features.

"Has anyone tried calling him?"

"Of course dude, but then do you really expect him to answer for any of us?"

"Has Sadie tried?"

"Of course, but dude he's seriously like… it's just bad. It was bad when we came to rescue you, but I think it's gotten worse. It's like he's actually lost or something."

Jude opens her mouth to respond just in time to see Tommy round the corner beside hospitality. He's still unshaven, a little disheveled, but his white t-shirt, tight legged jeans, and trademark leather jacket, and dark sunglasses made you look past it. She closes her mouth quickly not wanting to let him know this was getting to her, but let's just say, he could give Johnny Depp a run for his money. Well when he was Cry-Baby.

Tommy stops beside the railing looking up at her as he pulls his glasses down slightly to settle those piercing blue eyes on her. His voice gives nothing away, "Harrison, you free? I've got a bit of a business proposition I'd like to discuss with you, and then we can work if you're ready."

It takes all of her effort to remain calm as she watches this. Was he _trying_ to drive her insane? He's already making it killer to stay away from him just by being him, but this just upped the stakes. She runs her tongue across her gloss painted lips, almost wishing for the ability to paint them scarlet just looking at him. She speaks and to her own surprise keeps her voice steady, "I'll meet you in our studio Quincy."

She watches as he says absolutely nothing, simply pushes his glasses back in place and seems to almost glide over to studio A. It was like Johnny Depp and Elvis Presley all rolled into one. She glances towards Karma just as Speid does who glares before pouting as he knows saying something won't help, but even Karma couldn't help watching Tommy walk into studio A. "Sitting right here _honey_" Speid reminds his wife who blinks rapidly and looks at him shrugging her shoulders.

"You'd be staring too if you were a girl." She shrugs again before looking to Jude. "So what do you think it's about?"

"I couldn't even begin to guess, but I'm dying to find out."

"Good luck dude." She hears him call behind her as she saunters into studio A.


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N In this story I am planning to use music from a lot of different artists. Some will be old like the artist in this chapter; the song is Pieces of My Life performed originally by Elvis Presley. Hope you guys are still enjoying this! This chapter is also a bit simple, but don't worry there is drama on the horizon! Also I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers again. Saderia, I checked out the song you suggested and I completely agree with you! I just haven't quite decided when, where, or how I am going to use the song! Might be in this story or it might end up going into the next story I have in mind. -- JenJen Thank you. He's getting there, he goes back to the doctor Friday. I'm glad I was able to make your first day back bearable. I hope this next chapter keeps things looking up!-- To all of my readers/reviewers, I love each and every one of your reviews and words of encouragement. You all are keeping me inspired and making it hard to stop! In the middle of writing this story I've begun to come up with an idea for another! Of course I won't start it until this one is finished!  
**

**Chapter Four**

When Jude enters the studio she finds it empty, until she glances towards the glass separating her from the booth. She cocks her head to one side blinking several times to make sure she's seeing what she thinks she is. Her arms lightly folded over her stomach she pinches herself and jumps slightly, proving to herself that it's real. Tommy Q is sitting on the stool in the booth, a guitar in his hands, one leg propped up with his foot on the bar of the stool as he nods towards the sound board. Glancing down for a moment, hesitantly, she finds a note in his hand writing instructing her to sit down, listen, and record.

She sits down in his usual chair and moves around the board pushing the appropriate buttons before motioning to him that she's ready. She folds her arms carefully in front of the mic on her end, her aqua blue eyes staring at him as he begins.

He lets his fingers glide over the strings of the guitar the acoustic melody sounds like something from the 1950's even as he starts to sing.

_A water glass full of whiskey  
And women that I never knew too well  
The things I've seen and done  
Most of which I'd be ashamed to tell_

_I don't know how it started  
But that's what makes a man a man, I guess  
Now I'm holdin' on to nothing'  
Tryin' to forget the rest_

_I'm lookin' back on my life  
To see if I can find the pieces  
I know that some were stolen  
And some just blew away  
Well, I found the bad parts  
Found all the sad parts  
But I guess I threw the best part away_

_Playing the bars  
Playing the star  
Anything to get a name  
Carrying on  
Living on songs  
My friends wrote for me to sing_

_I'm looking back on my life  
To see if I can find the pieces  
I know some were stolen  
And some just blew away  
_

_Well, I found all the bad parts  
Found all the sad parts  
But I guess I threw the best parts away  
The pieces of my life  
They're everywhere, they're everywhere  
And the one I miss most of all is you  
Is you and you know who_

_Looking back on my life  
See if I can find the pieces_

_Looking back on my life  
See if I can find the pieces_

When the last chord falls silent he sets the guitar down, tears clinging to his ebony lashes as they kiss down upon his cheeks. He reaches up and grabs the mic just for something new to hold as he speaks his voice thick with emotion. "What'd you think Girl?"

Her eyes are wide as she stares at him, tears hidden in the shimmering depths but she refuses to let them fall. She shifts and presses the button before speaking, "That was amazing Quincy. When?"

"Last night, along with a lot more, I was thinking of finally trying for a solo album. That is, if you'll agree to trade places with me." That playful smirk dancing across his lips to hide the fact his insides are shaking in hopes she'll agree.

"You want me to produce you?"

"Yes, who better? You are the one with the most faith in me. At least you used to have faith in me…"

She raises a brow at his last line, watching as his head lowers slightly, his glasses going back on to hide his eyes. She doesn't bother to speak; she gets up from her chair walking into the booth to him. She reaches out curling her warm soft hand against his cheek lightly causing him to look up at her. "I still have faith in you Quincy. Don't ever doubt that. I'd be proud and honored to produce you, and this is definitely what we should use to pitch it to Darius. I mean it needs a little tweaking to achieve the perfection you always strive for with my music."

"Then let's get to work Girl." He touches her hand before pulling it from his cheek, kissing her palm as he finally releases her hand and watches her walk back to the other side of the glass. It was like everything was coming full circle.

--

It was four hours, ten fights, six screaming matches, and fifteen takes later when they finally had it perfect and ready to show to Darius. She pulls the shiny disk from the machine and nods to Tommy, waiting until he joins her to head for Darius. She wasn't one for knocking before entering D's office when she's excited and this was no exception.

She bursts into his office causing him to turn around in his chair to face her with his usual angry scowl in place. His loud booming voice nearly shaking the room, "And just what in the hell do you think you're doing barging in here? This had better either be really good or very important. Speak!"

"It's both D, I have in my hand a demo you _have_ to hear. It's a hit." Jude says, excitement dripping from her lips as she marches up to his desk handing him the disk.

"And just who is this?" Darius almost growls out as he takes the disk from her slipping it into his player and watching it slide gently in.

"Just wait…" She motions as the song begins. She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth as Tommy's voice starts flowing out around the room seeming to envelope her again, touching her in a way she won't allow herself to openly admit. For now all she allows to show is her total and absolute pride. After his disaster with Frozen she wasn't sure he'd ever try again, but he'd gone and surprised her and to top it off he'd blown her away with this song.

Darius nods his head slowly seeming to stare at nothing as he listens to the music booming around him through his highly expensive sound system. But when this verse began he looks to Tom as if in that moment he realized who the artist was.

_**Playing the bars  
Playing the star  
Anything to get a name  
Carrying on  
Living on songs  
My friends wrote for me to sing**_

As the last bars of the song fade he shuts the system off folding his hands on the top of his desk as he slowly looks from Jude to Tom, his gaze stopping there as he quirks a brow, "This really you T?"

"Yeah man, bit different from Frozen isn't it?" Tommy sits in the leather chair across from D's desk.

"What possessed you to go solo again? I thought you liked producing man? Especially our rock star over here," D nods his head towards Jude.

"I was very inspired last night. Actually you can thank her for that."

"You're my best producer, what are we going to do about a producer for you?"

"Already way ahead of you D, I asked Jude before we recorded this. After all I taught her and I produced her. It's like letting things come full circle. Besides, the press will eat this up, don't you think?" Tommy shows him that million dollar smile; he knows just how to play Darius.

"I think you might have something there. You two get in there; get a couple more songs down over the next week while we release this one. This will sort of test the waters, we'll see if you sink or swim. If you swim be prepared to work twice as hard you two. This pans out and you've got two albums to finish, and I want a duet with you two on Jude's album, it'll help get the word out on your album and it will go far with Jude's fans. I want her album out first, within four weeks we'll release yours. Now get to work!" His deep booming voice rose on the last sentence, yelling loud enough the rest of G-Major heard him, but they both knew he was just excited. After all his best artist and his best producer were now collaborating in a reverse fashion that he was sure would not only boost Jude's sales but give Tommy a hell of a head start.


	6. Chapter Five

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Once again I say thanks to my awesome faithful reviewers! This is kind of a filler chapter... but it'll pick up again soon I promise!  
**

**Chapter Five**

They'd been in the studio a week collaborating on both albums, and fighting almost every other hour. It's driving Kwest absolutely crazy as he sits in as engineer for both of them. The fight they're currently enthralled in has been going on however for almost two hours, a record for them. This time it's all because she won't budge, she won't even consider giving him another chance, arguing over whether or not she still believes _in_ him.

"You're the one who said we were done Tommy! You ended it! So why on earth would I want to go through that all over again? You swear you won't break my heart, and then you do it! The more you pull stunts like this the harder it is to move on for me." Jude is screaming at him, causing Kwest to cover his ears as he sits beside where she stands.

"I made a mistake! I know that! I was stupid, upset, and hung over. But please, at least let yourself be open to the idea, even if it's later down the line. Please?" Tommy is literally almost begging and Kwest actually sort of feels for the guy.

He's known him for over a decade and he's seen Tommy 'beg' and buy women off when he screws up but with Jude, so far, he's not see Tommy resort to any of that. He's actually letting his words do the work for him, projecting how sorry he really is. The only problem of course is that Jude is as stubborn if not more so, than Tommy is! But at this point he knows it's time to step in as referee and settle things down before they all lose their jobs. "Okay! Why don't you two go to your separate corners and cool off. Screaming at each other is getting you no where, and if you get any louder all of G-Major is going to hear you and D is going to come in here and fire all three of us." He looks between the two, he can see they want to go at it again but they're calming. He gives Jude a gentle pleading look, that big brother kind of thing. "Jude, why don't you go and have a snack and talk with Sadie for a minute, give Tom a chance to cool down and us guys the chance to talk, okay?"

They can both see leaving the room is the last thing she wants to do, she wants to keep ripping Tommy a new one and she isn't really sure why, or what's wrong with her lately. All she knows is he has been getting on her nerves more and more lately, everyone had been. "All right Kwest, call when you two are ready to work," and with that she storms out of the room, the door slamming in her wake as she went to discuss womanly things with Sadie.

Tommy sighs in defeat as he flops down onto the little couch in the studio, slouching down and crossing his leather clad arms across his chest. "I don't know what else to do Kwest! I don't want to do all that crap I used to do with every other girl when I screwed up. She's better than that, she deserves better than that. But I don't know what more to do! I've tried telling her in every way possible, screaming, in song. What else can I do man?"

"T you can't stop trying, but you do need to chill out a little bit. Jude's a girl, so while the jewelry bit you usually pull is the dumbest move on earth and she'd see it coming from a mile away; you still need to be romantic. You know?" Kwest shrugs his shoulders leaning back in his chair and swaying back and forth like a bored teenager as he watches Tommy mull over his words.

"So maybe music itself isn't the wrong way to go, just how it's performed…"

"What are you thinkin' T?"

"You busy tomorrow night?"

"Actually no, I was planning to ask and see if you'd let me crash at your place tomorrow night."

"Why?" Tommy's brow rises slightly, curiously.

"Sadie and Jude are having some girls' night thing, so no guys allowed."

"Perfect! Then they won't think anything of you being with me!" Tommy's lips dance into an almost childishly excited smile.

"What have you got in mind T? And will it get me in trouble with either of the Harrison's when they find out I was involved?" Kwest leans forward on his arms.

"If it doesn't go the way I hope it shouldn't be bad at all, but you will have to be a little sneaky between now and then for this to work. We've got a lot of work to do, and it's going to be hard to get Jude out of the studio at all without her being suspicious."

"Well you know… if you are willing to trust Sadie to keep her mouth shut she can help us keep Jude out of the way and she won't think anything of it. Besides, if you run your plan past her she can tell you if you're going to die or not because of it."

Tommy rubs his chin for a moment, the leather crying with the movement in the brief silence of the room, "I'll talk to Sadie, soon as I can manage it without Jude seeing me and getting suspicious."

"I think I have an idea…" Kwest grins and pulls out his cell phone sending Sadie a text message then closes his phone and puts it away.

"What did you just do?" Tommy looks at him confusion written across his handsome features.

"Just wait, you'll see in…" He lifts up his hand slowly counting down from five silently, and just as he puts his index finger down Jude walks into the studio.

"Quincy, Sadie says Darius needs to see you, like now. I'll play around with some ideas while you're gone." Jude smiles innocently at him as he walks out of the studio.

He knew the Darius thing had just been a clever way for him to get a few minutes with Sadie without raising Jude's suspicion. He takes a deep breath as he strolls towards her desk, trying his best to be charming when really he's petrified that she's going to kick his ass. He leans against the counter above her desk looking down at her. "I have something I want to run by you Sadie."

"Yeah that's what Kwest was just saying. I promised to listen and kill you only if I don't like it." She smiles in that innocently devilish manner she has about her. That look that draws you in even though you know you're just going to be destroyed.

Tommy motions for her to stand up and lean towards him, cupping his hand he whispers into her ear, going over every inch of his plan with her. Once he has gone over all the details he pulls back and looks at her seriously but almost pleadingly. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think it might work… but with miss unpredictable, there's no guarantee. What are you going to do if she says no after this?"

"Think of something else and try again." He says it without hesitation, without question, he knows if she says no to this attempt he'll just think of something else, something better to make his point and convince her to give him one more chance. Sure he's screwed up, a lot and badly, but he loves her more than he ever thought he could love anyone and the time he spent in New Brunswick without her, both before and after her visit; he knows without a doubt he needs her.

"Good. But, and I'm saying this as her sister, if you hurt her again I will hunt you down and tear you apart Tommy Q."

"I understand, and I swear if she gives me another chance I won't mess it up this time. I'm not ever letting her go again."

"Good, but I make no promises that this will be the only time you will have to prove it to her before she'll give you a second chance. You broke her bad this last time."

"I know… and it breaks my heart… But I'll do whatever it takes Sadie, whatever it takes."


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N Song used: Crawling Back to You, Backstreet Boys (Yes this is exactly where I got the title for this story) Are you guys enjoying this so far? To those who do review, thank you! It's because of the reviews I have received I've been able to keep writing! I give you the newest installment! Of course as this one is posted I am finishing up chapter nine.  
**

**Chapter Six**

Now the girls had managed to convince the big D to let them off work early, Tommy might have had a little something to do with that. He needed Jude out of the studio without arousing suspicion and with Sadie and now Darius helping him along with Kwest his plan might just go off without a hitch. The only foreseeable problem of course would be his stubborn girl, though if you asked him he'd admit he wouldn't have it any other way.

He sits beside Kwest in Studio A working on the final mixing of the instrumental disk he needs for his surprise. He looks behind them at the clock, his leg bouncing up and down rapidly in anticipation and a little fear. His mind keeps wandering to all the ways it could go, right or wrong. But it's Kwest's cell phone going off that pulls him out of his thoughts. "What's the word man?"

"Everything's going according to schedule T. If we leave now you've got about ninety minutes to get everything else ready, think that'll be enough?" Kwest asks which his best friend nearly exploding in anticipation. It still seemed strange, even after watching them together for the last four years, to see his best friend so deeply and passionately in love with _one_ woman. In all honesty he knew it wasn't his relationship with Sadie that kept him in line that night his cousin was in town and they had models literally pawing them. No, what caused him to turn an honest to God blind eye was Jude, and Kwest knew it.

"Yeah it should be, if I leave now. Meet me at Jude's in ninety minutes man? Oh but make sure to park out of sight."

"You got it. And T? Don't give up if tonight doesn't soften her completely, she's stubborn just like you, and you've screwed up a lot so it's not going to be easy."

"I know. I'll see you there." Tommy walks out of the studio and out of G-Major and hops into his viper, heading home to get everything else ready.

During the drive, and even once he got home, his mind is flooded with Jude. A small smile caresses its way across his velvet lips as he remembers her sixteenth birthday, the look on her face when he told her she was getting driving lessons in his precious viper. It was no secret how protective he was and still is of that car, and she still remains the only person to ever drive it.

He closes his eyes a moment in the middle of getting dressed, thinking back to the night of her party when he kissed her in the rain. Her words echoing in his mind, _"Tell me what I do wrong Tommy? Tell me so I can fix it, please?" _But he couldn't tell her, because the only problem with her he could see, even now looking back on things, was her age. If it hadn't been for her age he never would have had any trouble telling her how he felt.

He chuckles softly at that thought just as he finishes dressing, it wasn't entirely true. It still would have taken him a while to admit it to himself and to her. He was the last person in the world anyone would expect to be monogamous. But here he was, trying to fix that once again, to get her back and keep her for good this time.

As he finally gets everything he needs gathered and into the viper, he's freshly showered and dressed in a pair of black slacks, a white t-shirt and a sapphire blue button down shirt open, with his leather jacket to complete things, he climbs into the viper thinking about their first time on the way to her house. He can still feel her silken skin beneath him, against him, her short platinum tresses curled around his fingers as he kisses her deep, drawing her against him. He can still smell her, like while flowers and honey. He still feels honored that he was her first for so many things. But then, in her own way she was his first for some things too, and his only. That one night at the rehearsal space, the only night they'd had the opportunity to make love, was the one and only time he's ever made love. His track record with women wasn't small, they both knew it, and he'd even written them down for her at her request. But of those names, it wasn't until hers was added that it mattered, that it was real, and that it was love.

As he pulls up to her house he sees Kwest already in place. He had the disk in the stereo of his viper and Kwest was positioned and ready to start it as soon as they got the go ahead from Sadie.

--

Sadie and Jude have just started the first of their movie picks of the night, a romantic chick flick that Sadie had of course picked out, though it was also a comedy. She was trying to 'set the mood' for what was to come without giving it away. The movie in question is 10 Things I Hate About You. Sadie's a pro at playing it cool, despite the fact that even she has butterflies when it comes to this whole thing. But she knows her job, to signal the guys and make sure Jude opens the door when it all goes down.

As they sit on the floor in their comfy clothes, which Jude had finally gotten a little girlie with, munching on popcorn as they watch the movie. Jude is in an ankle length slightly elegant night gown that has thin straps across her shoulders, criss crossing in the back. The night gown is a deep blue colored silk with a heart shaped neckline and flowed around her ankles when she walks. A gift from Sadie of course, specifically for their 'girls night', Sadie is of course in a similar night gown though hers has a slit from hem to hip on either side and is a rose color. She'd even convince Jude to let her play with her hair and make up, thankfully Jude doesn't suspect a thing, but her lips are painted a scarlet hue and her eyes have a dust of silver across them. Her hair is just loose around her head in those platinum waves.

When the movie gets to where Julia Styles character flashes the coach to get the bad boy out of detention she discreetly pulls out her phone and sends Kwest the message to get things going.

The music starts, loud and booming from outside, filtering in through the living room windows Sadie had opened without Jude's knowledge. The girls pause the movie listening, looking at each other in confusion; though Sadie's was faked of course. Until an all too familiar voice came floating through, deep and so full of emotion,

_Everybody knows  
That I was such a fool  
To ever let go of you  
But baby I was wrong  
Yeah I know I said  
We'd be better off alone  
It was time that we moved on  
I know that I broke your heart  
I didn't mean to break your heart._

As the chorus begins Tommy literally starts banging on their front door as he continues to sing.

_But baby here I am  
Banging on your front door  
My pride spilled on the floor  
My hands and knees are bruised  
And I'm crawling back to you  
Begging for a second chance  
Are you gonna let me in?  
I was running from the truth  
And now I'm crawling back to you_

By the end of the chorus tears have collected in the depths of his blue eyes threatening to honestly spill down his cheeks as he kneels at her front door, pausing banging as he sings the next verse.

_I know you're in there  
And you can make me wait  
But I'm gonna wait  
It's the least I can do  
Just to tell you face to face  
I was lying to myself  
Now I'm dying in this hell  
Girl I know you're mad  
Well I can't blame you for being mad_

As he prepares to start singing the chorus again he resumes banging on her door.

_But baby here I am  
Banging on your front door  
My pride spilled on the floor  
My hands and knees are bruised  
And I'm crawling back to you  
Begging for a second chance  
Are you gonna let me in?  
I was running from the truth  
And now I'm crawling back to you_

He stops banging as he prepares to sing the next verse, though his hands are resting against the door along with his forehead.

_If you could see these tears I'm crying  
Touch these hands that can't stop shaking  
Hear my heart that's barely beating  
You would see a different man_

Half way through the verse Jude finally opens the door, her own aqua pools brimming with tears as she looks down at Tommy still kneeling in front of her door, tears spilling down his cheeks. She can see how broken his heart is, and it breaks hers all over again, but she watches him finish what he's start, his vocals slowing down but still over flowing with every ounce of emotion he has inside of him.

_But baby here I am  
Banging on your front door  
My pride spilled on the floor  
My hands and knees are bruised  
And I'm crawling back to you  
Begging for a second chance  
Are you gonna let me in?  
I was running from the truth  
Now I'm crawling back to you _

_Bangin on your front door  
My pride spilled on the floor  
I was running from the truth  
Now I'm crawling back to you _

As he finished the song he looks up at Jude from the ground silently, waiting to see her reaction. For a long time no one said anything, but finally Jude couldn't take it any more and he reaches out letting her silken fingertips collect the tears from his cheeks, removing them as she curls one hand against his cheek. "You keep making this so hard Tommy… But, I just can't do this again yet…" As she finishes saying this, fresh tears are spilling down her cheeks.

Every logical bone in her body is telling her to pull away now, walk back into the house and shut the door. But it's not the logical part of her that wins, it's the illness that's been tormenting her for several days now that forces her to pull away and literally run upstairs, but no door is shut in her wake.


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N Thank you as always to my wonderful loyal readers/reviewers! I am glad you guys are enjoying this one so far! However There are some questions my wonderful readers you are just going to have to wait until the proper chapter is up to have them answered... what's the fun in me answering it ahead of schedule?!  
**

**Chapter Seven**

Tommy remains kneeling for a moment in her wake, too shocked to move that he hadn't heard a single door close. He looks to Sadie who shrugs and steps aside as he stands. "Think she was just in a hurry? Speaking of, what's wrong with her?"

"If she wanted the door shut it would have been." Sadie states firmly before shrugging as she peeks around Tommy to look at her own better half standing beside the viper still. She waves him forward before looking back at Tommy to answer him. "Some stomach virus, at least that's been our guess. You know Jude; she won't go to a doctor unless it's life or death. Look why don't you stay as long as she'll let you and look after her might help your cause. If you need anything call me, Kwest and I will just get a room for the night." She wiggles her brows suggestively causing Tommy to laugh, briefly.

"Thanks, both of you." He doesn't wait for them to answer before he's ascending the stairs, taking them two at a time.

His heart is racing as he nears the open door of the bathroom; he can hear the soft pained almost whimper that comes from _his_ girl from inside the bathroom. He takes a deep breath as he rounds the corner stepping into the bathroom that is lit only by a couple of scented candles on either side of the sink, the soothing scent of lavender cascading over his senses. He takes one look at her and it breaks his heart further to see her so miserable.

Jude, his Jude, is laying on the cold tile in the fetal position, her short platinum tresses falling over fading eyes of blue. No sooner had he knelt down beside her and she bolts up, once more losing the contents of her insides. He moves behind her reaching up and pulling back her hair for her until this round subsides as she's doing nothing more than dry heaving.

Once she's sitting down again he stands, grabbing a couple of wash clothes from the cupboard and wetting them in the sink. He then takes his place behind her and offers her the first one, but when her shaking hand lifts to try and take it he stops her. Changing his mind he uses it to gently clean her face and cool her before setting it aside. He then scoots back until his back rests against the wall, then gently he pulls her back a bit then down against his chest before taking the second cool cloth and laying it across her forehead.

"Thank you…" Her voice is trembling slightly, such a change from the woman he'd seen downstairs. "But… Why?" She doesn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, after all, who would have thought Tommy Q capable of something this personal?

He kisses the top of her head as he wraps one arm around her, his hand resting on her stomach and moving in soothing circles, his other is tracing fingertips lightly across her arm as he finds his voice, and it's trembling slightly too but for different reasons. "Just because I made a mistake and you're not ready to give me another chance, doesn't mean I stopped caring about you Girl, or loving you. No matter what part I play in your life, I'll always be here when you need me, even if you don't know that you do or can't admit it even to yourself." He smiles gently down at her. He tilts his head slightly though looking at her a little more closely, his hand moving from her arm to turn and lay the back of it against her cheek before touching the side of her neck. "Girl, I think you should think about getting seen. Darius can keep it out of the press if that's what concerns you."

She shakes her head slowly before closing her eyes and shifting so her side is against him as her cheek rests against his chest. As much as she wasn't ready to give them another chance she can't deny how good it feels right now to be in his arms. How much safer she feels in this moment. "It's not really the press… it's…" She sucks her lower lip between her teeth toying with it a moment before tilting her head down further mumbling against his chest so quietly he can't pick it up.

He curls his index finger beneath her chin and tilts her head up looking down into her beautiful, though for the moment dull, aqua blue gems. "You know you can tell me anything Girl, what is it?"

"I don't like needles…" Her body shudders against his at the thought.

He can't help but smirk slightly at this admission. It seems such an unlikely fear to come from such an extremely strong and independent girl. This new bit of information just seemed to make her all the more real, and perfect, to him. The problem of course remains as always that she hasn't decided to take him back yet. He places a soft tender kiss to the top of her head before standing to his feet and scooping her up into his arms bridal style, clutching her slender form as close against his own as he can. "How about if someone went with you?" he asks gently as he lays her down on her bed and kneels beside it folding his arms in front of her and resting his chin on them.

It hadn't even occurred to her to protest as he scooped her up and placed her in the confines of her own bed. She rolls onto her side to face him where he kneels, shaking her head. "Sadie's nearly as bad as me." She reaches out a slightly shaking hand to touch the side of his face with her fingertips.

He turns his head slightly to kiss her fingertips before looking back at her gently. He shifts, lifting his own hand and touches her forehead. She still feels so warm to him, he reaches over to turn on her bedside lap and get a better look at her. She seems so small, fragile, now when it seemed like only minutes before she was standing strong in front of him as he poured his heart out in front of her. He turns the light back off before caressing her forehead with his hand brushing wisps of blond silk back as he takes a deep breath. "What if I go with you? I could be strong for you, hold your hand, and distract you."

She brushes her fingertips over his eyes and cheeks now, so gently, she can still feel where his tears had dried on his skin, where they still clung to his dark lashes. She knows he loves her; she's just not ready to give them a second chance yet. But she'd never turn her best friend away completely. She may not be ready to have him as her lover again, her boyfriend, but he's always going to be her best friend. She considers his offer for almost ten minutes, watching his concern grow, making him antsy. "Okay. I'll go, but you have to promise not to leave. No matter what you have to say or do to make it happen. Promise me." Her angelic features caressed by the moonlight pouring in from her bedroom window accents her fear.

"I promise Girl. I'll be right by your side every second. Can you stand?"

She slowly shifts, pushing herself into a sitting position with obvious effort. It had taken all of her energy to put on a good show at work the last few days, and earlier tonight for Sadie's attempt to cheer her up, that when he showed up and poured his heart out to her like that in front of Kwest and Sadie, all her strength seemed to leave her, like the heightened emotions had just flipped a switch inside of her that turned off every ounce of strength she had.

Once she's in a sitting position she scoots to the edge and tries to stand, but her legs tremble beneath her, feeling not unlike pudding trying to hold her up. She sits back down and shakes her head.

"Then we'll do this together." He stands from his position on the floor and goes to her dresser. He pulls out a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. Returning to her he holds the pants open so she can stick her feet in the holes, then he bunches up the fabric on both legs to let her feet come through and pushes the fabric up to her knees. He stands then and holds out his hands, helping her to her feet before placing her hands on his shoulders as he leans down enough to grasp the waist of the pants and pull them up to her waist. He pulls the night gown up with them and once the pants are on he slides the silky fabric up so she can sit down without sitting on it. Once she's down he slides it up and over her head laying it on the bed beside her. Heaven only knows how he manages to hold his composure as his hands moved across her silken skin to do it, and once again to slide the tank top over her head and down. She probably didn't need help with that, but she hadn't protested.

"Thanks Quincy…"

"Anything for you Girl, you know that. Come on, let's get you down to the car and get on the road. I want to know what's wrong with _my_ Girl." He offers that cocky grin of his, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight as he looks at her. Even this ill she looks like heaven to him. He offers his hand to her, pulling her to her feet before he slides her arm around his neck and scoops her up again. Without another word he carries her downstairs and out to his viper.


	9. Chapter Eight

**A/N Song: Back to Your Heart; BSB Not a major fan of them, but the lyrics suited my purpose. As always thank all of you who faithfully review, you give me a reason to keep writing! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And if I receive good enough reviews I might be able to get another chapter up by Wednesday.  
**

**Chapter Eight**

Tommy had stayed true to his word; he hadn't left her side once they left her home and arrived at the hospital. He had managed to convince the nurses to take her back to a room immediately, for the sake of privacy. He made sure they understood it was the only special treatment he was seeking. He wants the best possible care for her, but he doesn't want them to rush her ahead of everyone else. Besides, the place didn't look to busy for being nearly midnight on a Friday.

He's standing beside her bed as he had been this whole time, during the four hours they had already been here. She'd been seen about an hour ago and they'd ordered a slew of tests, blood work, urine samples, etc. Anything they thought might give them an answer for all the symptoms she finally admitted to. It was that very admission that currently has his features contorted in a look of hurt, confusion, and of course concern. Things were a bit worse than he had originally believed, but he wasn't running. His hand wrapped gently around hers, his thumb caressing the back of it, he starts to break the silence, but she beats him to it. "I'm sorry Tommy, for lying and hiding everything. I just… I couldn't find a way to tell you without losing my resolve to stay apart romantically. Letting you in when it's important like this is like opening a flood gate with you, we both know that." She looks down at their hands, a soft sigh passing her plump pale lips. In real light and lacking make up he was finally able to see just how peeked she looked.

"I know… You know I'm sorry for what happened in New Brunswick, and I am. I'm sorry for being so afraid of you, of us. Look I won't pressure you any more about it, okay? Just promise me you won't give up on us completely, that you'll at least stay a little open to possibly giving me another chance. No matter how far down the road it is. I'll wait." Tommy looks down at her, his blue eyes still shimmering with unshed tears.

"I promise." She lifts their joined hands up to her lips slowly, placing a soft kiss to his knuckles as she rolls onto her side to face him, resting her cheek on their joined hands. "Do you think it's going to be bad Tommy?"

"I don't know Girl… I wish I did… But I'll keep my promise; I'm staying right here as long as you want me to. No matter what happens, what they say, you've got me. I'll help you through whatever it is, we'll get through it, okay? Just as your friend, until you say otherwise of course," that cocky grin of his once more playfully dancing across his lips as he looks down at her trying to lighten things up a bit.

"Bit sure of yourself Quincy?" she counters, grinning up at him with a tilt of her head.

"Of course! At least I'll pretend to be. I'm really just hoping, praying, fingers crossed and everything." He pulls his hand from her grasp gently for a moment, just long enough to grab a chair and put it next to the bed. Once he's sat down he holds out his hand for her to take, a soft smile dancing over his lips as she does.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, anything Girl, I'm done with secrets remember?"

"How many songs have you written so far?"

He tilts his head to the side thinking about it. "Ten to fifteen that are any where close to ready. Why?"

"Sing to me?" She tilts her head slightly sticking out her lower lip slightly in a pout. It's not that she needed to, it just seemed the girl thing to do. She watches him, waiting to see his response, all the while her mind is spinning. She can't fathom actually being without him, not after almost four years with him. They hadn't been together even half of that time, but he had been an enormous part of her every day life, and most importantly her music.

He leans over the railing of her bed and kisses her forehead softly, a frown briefly caressing his features at the warmth still there, more than there should be. But he takes a deep breath going over the songs in his mind, at least the ones he could remember off hand. He knows that she'll catch on almost as quickly as he used to that his songs are about her. But he starts softly, folding an arm on the rail of her bed and resting his head there.

_It's not that I can't live without you  
It's just that I don't even want to try  
Every night I dream about you  
Ever since the day we said goodbye  
If I wasn't such a fool  
Right now I'd be holding you  
There's nothing that I wouldn't do  
Baby if I only knew_

_The words to say  
The road to take  
To find a way back to your heart  
What can I do  
To get to you  
And find a way back to your heart_

When he first began she had just let her eyes drift closed and melted into the soothing sound of his voice. But when the chorus closed her sparkling pools of blue flutter open as she looks up at him, watching him stare down at her as he sings. She feels as though she's looking in a mirror, seeing the same expressions she knows she wore when she would show him a new song. After all they both knew every song she wrote, well almost all, were about him. Sometimes she was trying to get him to understand how she felt when she wasn't allowed to say it.

_I don't know how it got so crazy  
But I'll do anything to set things right  
Cause your love is so amazing  
Baby you're the best thing in my life  
Let me prove my love is real  
And make you feel the way I feel  
I promise I would give the world  
If only you would tell me Girl_

He pauses now to kiss her hand in his before he begins, watching her as her eyes fill with tears she won't allow to fall. It warms him to see in her eyes that she's starting to believe him, that she's starting to realize how real and honest his intentions are, and how while still laced in fear he's not letting that control him. He's also not letting his decaying opinion of himself hinder things any more.

_The words to say  
The road to take  
To find a way back to your heart  
What can I do  
To get to you  
And find a way back to your heart_

_Give me one more chance  
To give my love to you  
'Cause no one on this earth loves you like I do,  
Tell me_

She pushes herself up slowly into a seated position as she watches him seeing with the same passion she always shows. Looking at him this way it makes it even harder for her to stand her fearful ground and keep him at arms length.

_The words to say  
The road to take  
To find a way back to your heart  
What can I do  
To get to you  
And find a way back to your heart_

_I turn back time  
To make you mine  
And find a way back to your heart  
I beg and plead  
Fall to my knees  
To find a way back to your heart_

Of course as he sings of falling to his knees he does it literally, their hands had parted when she sat up. Once again, think Johnny Depp as Cry-Baby kneeling in front of her, well style wise. The loving and warm look in his deep blue eyes staring up at her, when she thinks of turning back time she goes back to that day in the rehearsal space and his mind goes back there too.

_The words to say  
The road to take  
To find a way back to your heart  
What can I do  
To get to you  
And find a way back to your heart_

As his voice fades with the final note he looks up at her still from his position on the floor, arms resting on the bed beside her, waiting for her response.

She reaches out with a trembling hand to run her fingers through his hair for a moment. She knows she's the only person he willingly allows to do that, his hair being his pride and all. "Tommy…" His name comes out like a whispered breath of air and it's as far as she gets before the door to her room opens and a nurse walks in with an IV bag, forcing him to his feet.

He watches as the nurse attaches it to the stand on the opposite side of her bed, prepping it before she goes for Jude's hand where they had left an IV line when they drew her blood. He watches his girl shudder as the woman goes to take that hand and touch the IV. His own hand takes up the hand closest to him, one beneath her hand and the other covering it as his thumbs brushing soothingly against her skin. But in a moment it was over and ice cold liquid starts spreading into her veins causing another shudder. He can see the question surfacing on her features but it's his voice that asks it. "Excuse me, ma'am? What's this for?"

The nurse turns to properly face them, an older woman with silver hair and a gentle face smiles before answering. "She's very dehydrated, so this should help perk her up a bit. The doctor should be in shortly with the rest of his findings dears." That being said she smiles and pats Jude's knee lightly before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her to give them privacy once again.

"Are you all right Girl?" He removes one of his hands now to brush wisps of platinum blond from her features.

"Yeah, it's all a little uncomfortable still… but it's okay. But Tommy… that song; do you mean it?"

"Every word, but then you knew I wanted another chance to make things right between us Jude. Haven't I been saying it rather often since I came home?"

"Yes, but this is different. You know as well as I do we understand each other best in song. Music is who we are…" She takes a deep breath; her voice is still a bit shakey and would be until the bag beside her is at least half gone.

"Well, I have a lot more to tell you Girl." His smile is soft as he thinks of just how many songs he has down for her now. Over time she'd hear them, after all she is producing him.

Jude's pale lips part to start to speak again, to continue their conversation when she is interrupted again by someone coming into the room. She turns her head to look only to find it's finally the doctor.

The older man in his white coat, with his salt and pepper hair holds her chart in his hands as he starts to speak. "Miss Harrison, I have all of your results. Would you like to discuss these in private?" the man's gaze wandering to Tommy for a moment.

"No, I want him here. Please, go on." She sucks her lower lip between her teeth again in her worried manner, her hand squeezing Tommy's for reassurance.

"Well Miss Harrison…"

**A/N Any guesses? Let me know what you think of this chapter everyone and the direction I am taking things, and throw in a guess as to what the doctor is going to say!**


	10. Chapter Nine

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Song: Incomplete; BSB tiny change made to the lyrics 2am Alexz Johnson of course. **

**Wow! I sign into my email today and eight of you have reviewed! I don't think I've ever seen responses so fast! I'm sorry for torturing you guys this long with the diagnosis but I couldn't risk a little suspense! I promise in this chapter it gets explained, and hopefully none of you will kill me when you discover what the diagnosis is! I am very glad that all of you like the direction this was going, I was starting to worry that I was failing my wonderful readers!  
**

**carenicoleIQ: I am so glad you've found this story and are enjoying it thus far!  
**

**Chapter Nine**

The doctor had left over an hour ago, yet Tommy nor Jude had spoke since the full diagnosis hit. Jude's mind is a sea of confusion, right now she can't figure out which way is up and which one is down. Her sparkling orbs of blue stare down at the foot of her bed where the doctor had left her medications and several pages of instructions, but not one of them were discharge papers. No the doctor had insisted she stay for 24 hours, just for observation.

She reaches up running her free hand, the one not attached to an IV stand, through her short silken tresses of sun bleached gold. She could process the fact she's dehydrated, she can even kind of fathom the bladder infection that was wreaking havoc with her insides, but that was as far as her comprehension went.

Tommy remains by her side in the chair next to her bed refusing to even allow everything the doctor had told them to enter his conscious thought process. He'd look after her as he had promised her and the doctor; he'd stay right here until her release and face everything else when he took her home. His eyes like deep blue marbles with traces of black mixed in are transfixed on Jude, he wants so badly to touch her but with the look on her face he's not entirely certain he wouldn't get hit for it or yelled at. Finally he chooses to at least break their current shocked silence, "Would you like me to go call Sadie to be here with you tonight… instead of me?" The pain in his voice at the idea of not being wanted now that they'd found out what was wrong was evident. He can see that she's scared, but now he's so afraid to touch her, unsure of she wants him to. He knows it's his own fault, if he hadn't been such a fool back in New Brunswick it wouldn't even be an issue.

She turns her head slowly to look at him; everything she did was in slow motion right now like she was moving through a fog. Her long dark lashes slowly lower and kiss her cheeks as she stares at him trying to process the question she'd been asked. But it's not until he stands, figuring her silence is an answer that she finally speaks; her hand reaching up and grasping his to keep him from leaving as she finds her voice. "Stay Tommy… Please?" She doesn't want to give him false hope of a relationship but she needs her best friend.

He nods slowly leaning down to kiss her forehead softly before taking his spot back in the chair. "As you wish Girl," he fights a grin saying this as he knows her secret obsession with the movie it's from. But he loves her enough to know these things and millions more. "Do you want to talk about it Girl?"

"Not yet… Please? Tomorrow, when we're not in a hospital, maybe we could go to the lake?"

"We'll see. We can talk to the doctor about it when he checks you out before releasing you tomorrow. Okay?" He brings her hand to his lips over the rail of her bed and kisses it slowly and gently while his eyes never leave her. He knows he is going to have to work to get her back, to get her to trust him enough to give him another chance. She trusts him with her life, with her music, and with her secrets; just not her heart right now. But he'll be the kind of man he never was before, he'll be patient and with her he has always been faithful. The part that amazed him and Kwest sometimes is that he could remain faithful when they weren't even together.

"What's on your mind Quincy?" she smiles in that knowing fashion of hers, albeit a bit weaker than her usual self.

"You."

"Okay, what about me?"

"Everything we've been through, where we are now, and how big of a mistake it was for me to say the things I said to you in jail. I know I'm going to have to work to prove to you that I want us to work, that I won't run scared again. I'll do whatever it takes Jude."

"I know you will. Let's talk about it tomorrow, okay?" Even as she asks her hand with the IV line sticking out of it lifts to cover her mouth, stifling a yawn.

He stands placing the hand he'd been holding onto her stomach then reaches to rest his hand upon her cheek before kissing her forehead. "Get some sleep Girl, I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

She nods slowly and watches as he starts to go sit down in a very uncomfortable chair and carefully she scoots over in the small bed. "Lay with me?"

He stops near the chair turning at the sound of her voice and he can't help the smile that creeps across his lips, that almost sad shy smile he always has with her when she's melting away the walls he has always had up around his heart and his soul. "Are you sure?" As she nods in response he says, "Okay." He crosses the short distance to her and carefully climbs onto the bed, neither caring about policy as he slides an arm under her curling it around allowing him to play with her hair as his other arm lies across her side. His fingers brush the exposed flesh of her lower back softly as she nestles closer against him.

He watches as she slowly drifts to sleep, wrapped in his arms and pressed against him in the small hospital bed. His eyes mist over as he watches her sleep, well he thinks she is anyway, his voice is a deep soothing whisper as he starts to sing unaware that she hears him and the sobs he's biting back with every note.

_Empty spaces fill me up with holes  
Distant faces with no place left to go  
Without you within me I can't find no rest  
Where I'm going is any body's guess_

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete_

_Voices tell me I should carry on  
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone  
Baby my baby  
It's written on your face  
You still wonder if we made a big mistake_

He pauses at the end of the second verse his brow knitting in confusion; he thought he'd felt her move. Dismissing it he wraps his arms around her tighter resting his cheek against her forehead knowing she could sleep through a freight train outside her window, so she wouldn't likely notice the tears falling from his deep blue eyes onto her warm skin.

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete  
I do mean to drag it on, but I can't seem to let you go  
I don't want to make you face this world alone  
I don't wanna let you go…_

She can feel his tears, and the emotions running rampant through him as he sings so softly, bearing his heart for her more than he had already. She doesn't move, doesn't make a sound not wanting to interrupt him and scare him off, something that is easy to do.

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete  
Incomplete_

As his voice fades and his breathing slows he starts drifting off, holding Jude close to him. She doesn't admit she heard him, making sure he's asleep before she very carefully climbs out of bed and walks to the window, pulling her IV stand with her and not caring about the fact the hospital gown is basically backless. When she had climbed out of bed she'd taken note of the time, and it seemed fitting that it would be now the song would run through her head. Softly she begins to sing as she stares out of the window at the city lights displayed in front of her, easily seen from her room on the sixth floor of the hospital.

_Snow falls on the city  
White on white  
It's the color of hope  
On an unforgiving night  
You kissed me into ruins  
Sin on sin  
Now I've got to love your love letters  
Written on my skin_

_I can't tell the stars  
From the downtown lights_

As she holds the last note of the previous line a bit longer and higher than she had the rest of the song Tommy was fully pulled from sleep by the sound of her voice, but he makes no move to announce it, content to listen to a song he'd never heard being sung with such raw emotion it nearly broke his heart all over again.

_If I said I was truly over you  
My heart would say "amen"  
But I give in to the cold caress of 2am  
If I admit I can't get used to this  
Will my heart break again?  
As I fall into the waiting arms of 2am_

_Someone's scratchy music through the walls  
Sirens waving through the streets  
I must have missed your call  
I'm gathering up these nights  
Black on black  
I know your voice like it's my own  
And it makes my heart go slack_

He can't help silently climbing out of the bed and crossing the room to her, grateful that the lack of light in the room kept his reflection from showing in the window her hands and forehead now rest against as she sings.

_I can't tell the stars  
From the downtown lights_

_If I said I was truly over you  
My heart would say "amen"  
But I give in to the cold caress of 2am  
If I admit I can't get used to this  
Will my heart break again?  
As I fall into the waiting arms of 2am_

His hands lift and curl gently against her hips causing her to around and face him even as she begins the final verse. After all it's not as though she hadn't sung for him before, a million times at least in the last couple of years. She faces him but allows her bare back to rest against the cool surface of the window behind her.

_If I said I was truly over you  
My heart would say "amen"  
But I give in to the cold caress of 2am  
If I admit I can't get used to this  
Will my heart break again?  
As I fall into the waiting arms of 2am_

"Jude…" He breathes her name as though it was a lover's caress instead. His hand leaving her right hip to touch her face so gently, he knew he had hurt her many times, but some how he was beginning to more fully grasp the damage he'd done. He wants to beg her to tell him how to repair the damage, but he'd already promised he wouldn't push it.

"That's about the only good thing that came out of being trapped in a basement with Megan." Her smile is tired but still full of her fire. She had gained so much more out of that afternoon stuck in her own basement. She had finally realized that getting over him just wasn't going to happen, but she also promised herself she wouldn't just let him back in. She has to know this time around, when she gives in, if, that it's for keeps. She can't keep playing these games.

"I know we said tomorrow, but…"

"I don't know what's going to happen with us Tommy, but I do know I love you and have always loved you. There's no way I could do anything but keep it. It's a part of you and me. Besides, with your track record it's kind of funny this hasn't happened to you until now, when you were my first." She tilts her head to the side pushing her lithe body from the cool glass to move closer to him. He's her best friend above all else.

"I was hoping you'd say that." He kisses her forehead softly before pulling back and looking at her again, his expression serious. "I'll keep my promise and I won't push the issue, but I really will do whatever you need me to or want me to, to find my way back."

She reaches up curling her hand against his cheek as she leans her forehead into his. "You've always been in my heart Quincy; it's not a question of that. I just can't take you at your word that things will be different this time and now there's more than just you and me to consider."

"I know, and I'll find a way to show you Girl, just don't give up on us okay? I need you to believe in me Jude… Please?" He pulls his head away from hers curling his index finger under her chin and tilting her head up to meet her ocean blue eyes.

"I won't." She closes her eyes for a moment before taking his hand into her free hand, the one not stuck with a line, and leads him back to the bed. She climbs in first arranging herself properly before patting the spot he'd occupied earlier. She sees his skeptical expression and leans towards him grabbing his hand and pulling him towards her. "This is just us Quincy, it doesn't mean anything more than that you're my best friend above all else and we need each other after tonight's events."

Hesitantly still he climbs into the bed wrapping his arms around her once again, covering her with the blanket as it is only big enough for one. He runs his fingers through her short platinum strands and kisses her forehead briefly before whispering, "Good night Girl… I love you." By the time the last three words reached her she was already asleep, but he smiles in spite of himself and allows himself to fall into the depths of sleep once again.

**Now to those of you who guessed pregnant, well of course you were right! I just couldn't help drawing it out a bit, and adding in a few other minor issues to the mix. I stole idea of the bladder infection and dehydration from my own pregnancy because I was in and out of the hospital at least 2-3 times a month for that.**


	11. Chapter Ten

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Thank you all of my wonderful and faithful readers/reviewers!**

**-Thinkpink14148: Thanks so much for pointing out my paragraph/person issue! I tried to go over the chapters I've written to correct it and watch it more careful in the chapters I am working on. **

**Once again all of your wonderful and encouraging words having given me ideas for TWO new stories when I finish writing this one! **

**Chapter Ten**

It had been two days since she came home from the hospital, Kwest had taken Sadie to the coast for a week and seeing as the two of them were the only occupants of the house now, this meant she was home alone for a week. She still hadn't told anyone about the pregnancy and neither had Tommy, at her request. The only reason she kept it from Sadie was the fact she knew she'd cancel her trip with Kwest if she knew and she didn't want that. So she simply blamed all of her symptoms on the severe bladder infection she'd developed, which had been the cause of her other symptoms just not the vomiting.

Two months. It had been two months, almost to the day since she'd lost her virginity to the only man who has ever had her heart, and still does. She just isn't ready to admit that to anyone yet, how could she? He'd broken her heart so many times, but this last time had some how been the worst. It left her unwilling to let him back in all the way, at least for now. What she fails to realize is that Tommy is deep inside of her all of the time; nothing could or had changed it.

Sadie had been gone only a few hours but it was enough to have Jude's bravery wavering. She's not sure she can handle being alone for the next week while battling the infection and the early stages of pregnancy. She'd done some reading since she was told and discovered the first trimester was generally one of the roughest periods. The morning sickness alone was making her beyond miserable, and she was so tired she barely wanted to get out of bed. But since she was supposed to go to the studio she forces herself out of bed and into the shower.

An hour and a half later Jude was finally dressed and out the door arriving at G-Major fifteen minutes later. She takes a deep breath, drinking water from the sports bottle in her console in place of her usual morning cup of coffee. Finally she forces herself out of powder blue mustang and into the building, trying her best to ignore the wave of nausea that is trying to take her over.

Speid and Karma are lounging on the couch in hospitality as usual seeing as they had to wait for their temporary producer to arrive since Kwest was on vacation. They watch as Jude walks past them bound for Studio A and Squinty without saying more than a rushed 'hello' to either of them, but what caught their attention most was the bottle of water in her hands and lack of coffee. "Honey, was that really Jude that just scurried past us?" Speid looks up at his wife questioningly.

"That was her Speidy. What do you suppose is up with her?" Karma drawls in her dramatic and a bit too sugary fashion, that had some how grown on Speid.

"No idea. But when does she ever skip coffee?"

"Never, and I don't think I've ever seen her go through a day without at least fifteen cups since I've been here."

"I haven't either, even when we were on tour she lived for her caffeine fix." Just then Tom emerged from the studio and into hospitality fixing himself what is at least his fifth cup of coffee, but only pouring his cup. Jude's mug still sits abandoned on the counter. "Hey Quincy, do you know what's wrong with Jude?"

"Yes." Is the simple honest answer he provides them before nodding and disappearing into the studio again leaving them just as confused as before.

He takes a seat in his usual chair moving a few switches and buttons before pushing the one that allows him to talk to _his_ girl on the other side of the glass. "Ready when you are Girl."

Eight takes later and she's finally done with her part, she emerges from behind the glass and collapses on the couch behind Tommy. She lets her head rest against the arm while one leg is stretched out in front of her and the other is hanging over the side so her foot rests on the floor. She throws one arm over her stomach and the other over her eyes as she asks, "So, what did you think?"

He turns around in his chair to face her, his back to the board as he leans forward resting his arms on his legs watching her. He can see how tired she is, how lousy she feels, but he can see something else to that he just hasn't put his finger on yet when he answers her. "It was amazing Girl. When did you write that?"

"The night you took me home from the hospital."

"Is something wrong? Other than the obvious," He adds the last part to avoid having something thrown at him.

"I'm just trying to figure out how to handle this week, seeing as your best friend decided to kidnap my sister for the week. I guess it's time I learn though yea? I mean with the baby and all I should learn how to take care of me so I can do a good job taking care of it."

He watches her lying there with her eyes closed even when she speaks, watching as her chest rises and falls with every breath. He's still trying to wrap his own mind around the fact she was going to have his child. Jude Harrison was going to be the mother of _his_ child. This would take the next seven months to get used to; well seven provided nothing goes wrong. He shakes his head a moment snapping back into the moment they're in. "Why don't you come spend the week with me? Or if you're more comfortable in your own bed I could stay with you, I'll do anything you ask. You could consider me your humble servant for the week." He offers that charming smile of his as he moves to kneel beside her on the couch with his head cocked to the side.

When he first starts to speak she shakes her head, but the fact he continued on with his little speech gave her pause and she couldn't help opening her eyes and turning her head slightly to look at him. Of course by this time he was kneeling beside her and looking as charming and handsome as ever, "Anything? Even if it involves chick flicks?"

"Even if it involves the sappiest chick flick ever put on film, or every one." He adds with sincerity in his whispered voice.

"Wow… You wouldn't even watch chick flicks with Sadie. Actually, have you ever watched a chick flick?"

"Actually no, I've managed to avoid it the last couple of decades. But there's never been anything I wouldn't do if you asked, not just now but at any point in the time I've known you Girl."

"Well I guess it's you me and the jelly bean for the week, you can take the guest room."

"Jelly bean?" He looks at her as though she's grown horns or something.

"Yeah, didn't you think it resembled a jelly bean?" Referring of course to the ultrasound from the hospital, though she was due to go in to a CNM/OBGYN towards the end of the week, she just wasn't ready to tell him that.

"Yes I suppose it does," A laugh caressing its way past his lips as he answered her. He reaches up and brushes a stray strand of hair from her face, he leans in then unable to resist and presses his warm silken lips to the exposed flesh of her forehead, his hand pushing the hair out of his way of course. He watches her shiver as his eyes open only half way when he pulls back from the lingering kiss he'd given her. It gave him hope, seeing her react that way to such a simple touch. He can't help chuckling either as he watches her lips part slowly into that 'o' shape she makes when she yawns as her arms stretch up over her head causing her top to lift a little. "Want to call it a day and get home?"

"Can we?" She turns her head towards him her long lashes flashing upon her cheeks slowly. This was the one thing she already disliked about being pregnant; no energy!

"Of course Girl, we put in a good amount of work today. Besides you're exhausted, and I think we could all use something to eat hm?"

"You know me too well Quincy, so out or in?"

"Your pick, I told you I'm your servant this week." He offers her that boyish lop-sided grin that he only ever used with her.

"Chinese take out." She answered him almost instantly as she climbs off the couch, watching him stand soon after. "I'll meet you at the house, okay?" Once he agrees she takes off to her mustang in the parking lot, walking right past her friends again without acknowledging them and yet arousing more suspicion as to her level of sanity; especially when Tommy follows soon after.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**A/N Thank you! I loved all of your reviews! I am so glad everyone is enjoying my second story! Once this one finally finds its end I will be working on my third story which will likely be longer than my first two with a great deal of surprises!  
**

**Sazon Latino: Thank you so much for giving my story a chance! I'm glad I was able to win you over. **

**Chapter Eleven**

It's been three months since they found out she was pregnant and now she's entering her fifth month of the pregnancy and thankfully not showing in the least. A couple weeks after they found out of course they sat down and told Sadie and Kwest together swearing them to secrecy, and from there they had to go in and tell Darius also making him swear to keep it quiet. She's just not ready for anyone to know or for the press to end up getting wind of it. Now she's standing in front of the mirror on the inside of her closet door in nothing more than her red bra and panties set of rose lace, her hands resting on her stomach. While it's not flat as a bored any more the slight bump isn't noticeable, well except like this when she stands in the mirror exposed.

Her hair has started to grow and she hasn't bothered to get it cut, with her roots starting to show it's an interesting display of color with the fiery red roots going about six to twelve inches down before the platinum starts and is just barely brushing her shoulders in soft waves. She's supposed to be getting ready to go to the studio, but she's lost in her own world, curious as to when the baby would start to show and even more curious as to it's gender. Tommy and her had agreed that when she was far enough along they could determine gender they'd find out, agreeing that it would make things like naming and shopping much less stressful.

Tommy creeps into her room silently, watching her from the door way as she'd left it cracked enough he could slip in undetected as long as he stayed out of the path of the mirror. He can't help but smile as he looks at her, listening to her hum the song she'd written just after he'd brought her home from the hospital three months ago. They were still no more than best friends and parents-to-be, but for now he could live with that. This was going to be a trying time for her and he knows it, it already had been and from what he'd read it was only going to get harder for her. So for now he focuses on her, 'them' could wait until later to be discussed, after the baby.

He waits until he sees her eyes drift close, her body swaying with the melody floating past her rose colored lips to take the opportunity to walk up behind her and curl his hands gently against her hips moving with her. He feels her tense in surprise under the touch, but she doesn't stop moving or humming the beautiful melody, at least until it's done.

She merely lets her body relax against his not thinking about her lack of clothing, her eyes remaining closed, as she finally verbally acknowledges his presence. "Do we have time to go get breakfast before we go to the studio?" She tilts her head back and up to flash those dark lashes up at him her lower lip jutting out just slightly. She can feel the rumbling in his chest against her shoulders as he laughs gently at her expression she's sure. She won't admit it, still, but it still feels so right being like this against him.

"We can make time Harrison. What's your craving this time?" He turns his head enough to allow him to kiss her temple before stepping back from her and turning her around to face him.

Her arms instinctively lift and lay loosely around his neck as her forehead comes to rest on his now. "Pancakes, with strawberries and whip cream, scrambled eggs and syrup, and hot chocolate," As she finishes voicing this odd craving her cheeks turn a slight shade of crimson.

Once again his chest rumbles with the sound of his gentle laughter before he pulls his head from hers and presses a soft kiss to her forehead. "Then that's what you'll have Girl. Hurry up and finish getting ready. I'll meet you downstairs."

She watches him walk out of her room shaking her head. She pulls a pair of black dress pants out of her closet and a blood red blouse and of course her black heels. Shaking her head softly as she gets dressed quickly thinking back to how things started, the way she used to look when she entered the industry. Of course this leads her mind to thoughts of Tommy in the beginning and she groans slightly. He still looks just as good and now it's not forbidden for them to be together either. But she's still unsure, and with good reason. On the other hand he has been there for her the past three months without one complaint. He'd even taken to staying at the house most nights so that Kwest and Sadie didn't have to worry about late night cravings or her sleepless nights. Sometimes they stayed at his place to give Sadie and Kwest privacy.

Fifteen minutes later she's fully dressed, hair brushed and teeth, as well as make up done; well what little she wears. She walks downstairs to find Tommy sitting in the living room on the sofa reading the paper. But some how he seemed to hear her and as soon as she reaches the back of the sofa he puts down the paper, stands and walks around the other side to her getting the front door for her. He locks up behind himself before sprinting towards the viper opening her door before going around to his side of the car.

Two hours later they finally arrive at G-Major, Sadie ushers them over to the reception desk the second they walk in and warns them seriously, "Darius is in a mood and he's looking for you two. Tommy, don't let her get too excited, no matter what." It's not a request of course and Tommy knows it just by the tone of her voice and the glare she's giving him as he nods and takes Jude's hand as they head towards D's office.

They knock on the door and a moment later they hear a booming "come in!" from inside the office. Tommy opens the door to Darius' office and ushers Jude in first before following behind as Darius bellows, "Close the door!" He shuts it behind him and follows Jude to the couch sitting down.

Once the door is shut and the pair has seated themselves Darius folds his hands under his chin and leans forward with his elbows on the desk. His expression seems to soften now that he has the pair alone. "How are the albums coming?"

"Good, we just need one more for mine, the duet, and four more for Tommy's and we'll be done." Jude responds before Tommy can, her hand resting softly in his.

"Good, now that's what I like to hear! How's the baby? When are you thinking about announcing it? This really will be fantastic publicity you know…" He'd been trying to convince her to hold a press conference about it since he found out. After all Jude Harrison and Tom Quincy having a child was PR gold!

"We've talked about this D… I'm not ready to let people know yet. Once it gets to where I can't physically hide it any more without suspicion and I have personally told my friends we'll worry about a press conference."

"Actually I was thinking… If you two agree…" Tommy pauses looking from Darius to Jude before continuing, "Why not announce it during your release party? Then Darius you just make sure you have the top press here for it and that will get things rolling."

Both Darius and Jude are silent for a long time, each considering Tommy's suggestion but it's Jude who speaks first. "If you're on board with this Darius then I am too. But this means we need to sit down and tell the others before the release party, and we actually have to get that duet finished."

"That's perfect! And you two can perform the duet before the announcement. Okay you two, back to work!" Darius grins leaning back in his big leather chair, the leather creaking beneath him as he nods towards the door.

Tommy stands pulling Jude to her feet as they head off to their studio avoiding everyone as they lock themselves in there to work.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**A/N Songs: You're Gonna Be; Reba McIntyre and Whatever it Takes; Lifehouse. You're Gonna Be is not originally a duet but for this story it suited better turning it into one. Whatever it Takes I changed some words in the second verse. And of course Time to Be Your 21 belongs to Alexz Johnson.**

**I know I've been a little slow updating and I apologize! I've been enthralled with the new idea I've come up with and thus ended up with a serious case of writers block on this story! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Once again thank you for all of your reviews! I love them!**

**Chapter Twelve**

The night of the release party is finally upon them, and luckily they'd actually told all the important people in their lives before hand. The band and Karma had been easy seeing as they needed SME for recording the duet to finish her album. So they just sat them down in the sound proof booth along with Karma and told them. Karma had mixed feelings about the announcement but SME was fully supportive as she was sure they would be. After all a mini "dude" to them is the greatest thing in the world, even if it is have Squinty, as Speid pointed out.

Jude now stands in front of the full length mirror in her dressing room admiring the dress Sadie had helped her pick out, at least until she's ushered to her chair by her stylist who sets about doing her hair and make-up for the evening. She's got to admit she's finally gotten used to this part of being a rock star, she'd still prefer to wear far less makeup and much simpler do's than she's usually put into, but watching Tommy's jaw hit the floor every time she walked into one of these events is always worth the torture.

Kwest knocks on the door to her dressing room, entering a moment later and whistles. "You look beautiful Jude. The glow makes it all the better you know." He offers her his arm as it's his job to deliver her to Tommy at the top of the stairs they're going to walk down. Darius had once again rented out a hotel ballroom for the big event.

She curls one gloved arm around his while her other gloved hand curls against the silk fabric of her gown lifting the hem off the floor as she follows his lead. She leans in whispering, "Kwest, do you think he means it this time?"

"I've known T a long time Jude, you're his enter existence. You've helped each other grow up, and that's something none of us thought Tommy would ever do. And you know it's not just the baby, he was begging for your forgiveness before even you knew you were pregnant."

"Thanks Kwest." She rises slightly kissing his cheek as they reach Tommy. Looking at him there in his tux takes her breath away, but she's still not sure if she's ready to let him back in yet. Well more like ready to admit he never left.

It takes all his efforts to keep from having to pick his jaw up from the floor. He's seen her dressed formally before, but this was elegant, and her pregnant glow seemed to only enhance it. Her gown is of a deep royal blue, almost deep purple if it catches the right light, with tiny stars embroidered in silver thread throughout the skirt. The empire waistline allows her to easily hide what little bit of stomach is starting to show, the straps come from the sides up and around her neck in a halter fashion and in the center of her chest is a small opening where a small diamond studded star dangles from the thin piece of fabric above the 'hole'. The black silk gloves along her arms along side the dress are a beautiful contrast to her creamy skin. Her hair she'd decided to keep the steadily showing red roots and the platinum below, sort of letting both parts of her seep into her present. A small section of hair on either side of her face is braided and pulled back behind and under before being pulled upwards by a black silk ribbon tied into a bow as the braids serve to create an elegant ponytail. Her hair is then curled softly, and a small wisp of hair on either side of her face framing it also slightly curled. Her make up is so simple it's hardly there at all; the obvious part is the shine of her scarlet painted lips.

He moves towards her bowing as she follows suit in a curtsey before he extends his arm to her. Once she takes it he lays his free hand on hers where it rests, tilting his head towards her he whispers, "You look absolutely breath taking Girl."

She can feel the heat as her cheeks turn a soft shade of crimson before she nudges him slightly. "You look rather handsome yourself tonight Quincy." Before either can say anything further they hear Darius beginning his introductions as they remain where they are above the crowd, literally.

"Tonight is a very special occasion, not only are we celebrating the release of Jude Harrison's **fourth** album with G-Major, but the debut of a very special duet with Tom Quincy to kick off his own solo album which will be out next month! So here they are ladies and gentlemen: Jude Harrison and Tom Quincy!" His loud booming voice really doesn't require the mic he'd used and his large hands clapping as the pair make their way down the stairs is almost as loud and intimidating.

Tommy leads Jude down the grand staircase and through the outskirts of the crowd only to climb several more up to the stage. He of course goes up first then takes her hand as she climbs them after him, drawing her up towards him gently but he knows she can see the longing in the depths of his deep blue eyes.

She steps up to the mic, finally releasing Tommy's hand as she greets the crowd in front of them. "It means so much to me, to both of us to have so many people here tonight for the release of this album. It has some songs that are a bit different than my fans are used to, but I doubt you'll be disappointed. The song we are going to perform is very dear to us, hope you enjoy."

She follows Tommy towards the piano as he begins to play, Spied taking over the acoustic as Tommy begins to sing first, his voice full of raw emotion as he closes his eyes to avoid staring at Jude for now.

_6lbs and 9oz looking up at me  
Like I have all the answers  
I hope I have the ones you need  
I've never really done this  
Now I know what scared is_

Flawlessly as Tommy's voice begins to fade Jude's takes over.

_Sometimes I'll protect you  
From everything that's wrong  
Other times I'll let you  
Just find out on your own  
But that's when you'll be growing  
And the whole time I'll be knowing…_

And as she starts into the chorus Tommy's voice joins hers once again in perfect harmony, blending together as they were meant to, and the rest of SME joins Speid as the song picks up pace.

_You're gonna fly  
With every dream you chase  
You're gonna cry  
But know that that's okay  
Sometimes life's not fair  
But if you hang in there  
You're gonna see  
That sometimes bad is good  
We just have to believe  
Things work out like they should  
Life has no guarantees  
But always loved by me  
You're gonna be_

Once more as Jude's voice fades Tommy's takes over.

_I'm afraid you'll have to suffer  
Through some of my mistakes  
Lord knows I'll be trying  
To give you what it takes  
What it takes to know the difference  
Between getting by and living._

And the flawless trade off takes place once again, Jude's angelic voice taking over.

_Anything worth doing  
Is worth doing all the way  
Just know that you'll have to live with  
All the choices that you make  
So make sure you're always giving  
Way more than you're taking_

Once more Tommy joins Jude for the chorus

_You're gonna fly  
With every dream you chase  
You're gonna cry  
But know that that's okay  
Sometimes life's not fair  
But if you hang in there  
You're gonna see  
That sometimes bad is good  
We just have to believe  
Things work out like they should  
Life has no guarantees  
But always loved by me  
You're gonna be_

Tommy's voice once more takes over then the chorus fades.

_Someone's everything  
You're gonna see  
Just what you are to me_

Jude takes for the last time…

_You're gonna fly  
With every dream you chase  
We just have to believe  
Things work out like they should  
Life has no guarantees  
But always loved by me  
You're gonna be_

Their voices joining for the end for one final time

_Always loved by me_

As the final chords of the song fade and give way to the roar of the audience Tommy stands from the piano and rejoins Jude towards the front of the stage. They're both grinning from ear to ear as they listen to the audience clapping and calling their names. When it finally dies down Darius joins the pair with a mic in his hand. "At this time for the press in the audience tonight and for the fans, we'll take some questions."

The first reporter yells over the crowd, which normally isn't involved in the release parties. "Your duet doesn't sound like a love song; it sounds actually more like you were both singing to a child. Care to comment?" The reporter expects to be shut down, receive the typical 'no comment' and is surprised when Jude starts to speak.

"You're correct; it's not a love song, and is meant to be sung to a child," And that's how Jude leaves it, in turn giving fuel to the next reporter.

"Why would you write a song for a child on your album Jude? You're only eighteen, should you really be thinking about kids?" The next reporter inquires.

"Normally I would be inclined to agree with you, but that brings us to the other reason all of you were invited to this release." She looks up at Tommy letting him take over.

"Our rock star is really all grown up now, and is about to be a mother. So she felt her album needed to include this new chapter of her life." Tommy takes hold of her hand, standing so that their hands are joined behind them to keep the press from seeing it.

"Aren't you afraid of how your fans will react to this? You're a role model for other girls," Another reporter states.

"And my fans will learn that I'm human too, that I have taken responsibility for my actions. If my fans follow my example then I want them to learn what happens when you choose to become sexually active, and it only takes one time. I also want my fans to see that if they aren't going to wait for marriage for their first time they should at the very least be fully in love with the person they lose it to." Jude squeezes Tommy's hand slightly; while they aren't together she won't deny she loves him more than anything.

"Who's the father, and are you with him?" This time it's a fan in the front asking, a girl close to Jude's age.

"For the time being I am not in a romantic relationship with the father of my child, however I am and will always be very close to him." Tommy takes the mic from her then to complete the other half of the question; the transition during all of this is as flawless as when they sing together.

"I am very lucky to be that man, the father of Jude Harrison's baby."

"Why aren't you two together?" Another female fan questions, batting her long blond lashes up at Tommy as she was of course a Boyz Attack fan, and can't fathom the idea of any woman not jumping at the chance to be with him.

"I broke a lot of promises to our beautiful rock star and I've not finished proving to her I won't make the mistakes again. I broke her heart when I should have been holding onto her for dear life." Jude as well as the audience and the press can hear the sorrow in his voice even as she takes over again.

"He's right, I'm not yet ready to try again when we've had so many problems in the past and now it's not just me I have to consider but our baby too."

"As a surprise treat why don't we hear from our father to be now?" Darius announces before leaving the stage, motioning to Jude to stay when she tries to follow.

Tommy takes the mic from her gently and looks at her, not the audience, as he speaks letting the world hear what he has to say. "I know I've got a lot to make up for Girl, I told you from the start I'm not going to push you. I'm not good at talking, I can spout lines and play the games, but being real I'm still learning, I'm still trying to find my way. The only way I really know for you to know what's in here," He takes hold of her hand in his resting her hand beneath his on his chest where his heart is, allowing her to feel how fast it's beating as though it'll beat out of his chest. "Is to tell you in song, so that's what I'd like to do," He doesn't let go of her hand even as he nods towards SME giving them the signal to start, and then his voice begins, his eyes never leaving her as the lights above them dim.

_A strangled smile fell from your face  
Oh it kills me that I hurt you this way  
The worst part is that I didn't even know  
Now there's a million reasons for you to go  
But if you can find a reason to stay_

He lets go of her hand as it falls to her side, his own lifting to brush his finger tips against her cheek as he begins the chorus.

_I'll do whatever it takes  
To turn this around  
I know what's at stake  
I know that I've let you down  
And if you give me a chance  
Believe that I can change  
I'll keep us together  
Whatever it takes_

_You said if we're going to make this work  
I've got to let you inside even though it hurts  
Don't hide the broken parts that you need to see  
You said like it or not it's the way it's gotta be  
I've got to love myself if I can ever love you_

She watches his eyes as he sings the second verse able now to see that he's starting to really grasp what those words mean, which is something he hadn't even been able to comprehend when she'd shown up in New Brunswick. But she can hear the sincerity in his voice and in the depths of his eyes as she watches him. She's oblivious as Darius slips up behind her and puts a stool behind her, he grabs her elbow gently to pull her onto the stool before he exits the stage again, the spot light illuminating her and Tommy so that everything else seems to have faded around them.

_I'll do whatever it takes  
To turn this around  
I know what's at stake  
I know that I've let you down  
And if you give me a chance  
And give me a break  
I'll keep us together_

_I know you deserve much better  
But remember the time that I told you the way I felt  
That I'd be lost without you  
And never find myself  
Let's hold onto each other  
Above everything else  
Start over, start over_

He knows even as he sings the third verse they're both remembering their conversation in his jail cell in New Brunswick. He kneels down in front of her taking hold of her hand again as he continues, looking up at her all the while and singing with every bit of his soul pouring into his voice.

_I'll do whatever it takes  
To turn this around  
I know what's at stake  
I know that I've let you down  
And if you give me a chance  
Believe that I can change  
I'll keep us together  
Whatever it takes_

As the music slowly fades he brings her gloved hand to his lips and kisses it before standing to his feet, he then pulls her to hers and close to him as the thunderous applause from the audience begins. He leads her off the stage, not really hearing anything as Darius briefly informs the crowd that there will be a break in the live performances and Kwest will be taking over with the music.

Tommy starts to lead her to the dance floor but stops for a moment as he asks, "Girl, will you dance with me?" Releasing her hand to bow as he finishes his request, once more holding his hand out to her, who knew Tom Quincy, could be such a gentleman.

"As if I could say no to you Quincy," She curtsies once again before placing her hand into his and resting her other upon his shoulder as he begins to lead her across the floor gracefully.

The song that had been playing while it was slow, it was cut short by Kwest as soon as he noticed the pair on the dance floor together. He recalls not just a conversation he'd once had with his best friend Tommy, but an even more recent conversation he'd had with Jude before Tommy came back from New Brunswick. He makes a brief announcement before actually starting the song. "This goes out to my two closest and very stubborn friends."

**You never lied to me not once  
It's not your fault that I can't trust  
It's in my past it's in my path…**

When Tommy puts her into a position she can shoot a look in Kwest's direction she takes advantage of it and watches as Kwest simply shakes his head with a smile on his face that reaches from ear to ear. Tommy of course catches this little transaction and cocks his head to the side as he looks at Jude. "What's that all about?"

Her cheeks gain a slight shade of crimson once again, "He's just trying to remind me who I wrote this song for…" Which isn't a complete lie, but she's not entirely sure she's ready to admit to him what she'd over heard when she was sixteen.

"Didn't you write it for Shay?" He recalled catching her playing the first few lines when she was still writing it before her sweet sixteen party, before the whole Eden fiasco.

"It started out that way, but then I heard something and it changed a lot of things." She doesn't give him a chance to respond before she's asking, "Do you remember having a conversation with Kwest when you guys were setting up for my party that night?"

He looks at her, confusion etched across his handsome features for a moment before the chorus kicks in and he starts to put the pieces together. "How did you…"

"I was looking for you to show you the dress I'd chosen to wear for the party and happened to over hear the conversation. Up until recently the only person I'd ever told about that night was Kat, when I was trying desperately to make myself believe that hearing you say those things gave me closure."

"But it didn't?"

"No, actually it gave me even more reason to love you. But it made you trying to leave after we finished the first album, and then dating Sadie, a whole lot harder to endure. The last part more than the first, to her then you were just Little Tommy Q, a fantasy come to life. But to me… you were my world, my best friend. You still are…" The last part she all but whispers before singing the last chorus of the song playing around them.

_Time to be your only one  
To almost be you're way too young  
Time to crash into the sun  
Time to be your 21  
Time to dream that love with last  
Time to drive my car too fast  
Time to walk before I run  
Time to be your 21_

When the music fades they stop in the middle of the floor, not paying mind to the people around them as he lifts his hand and curls it against her cheek before leaning his head down and placing a ghost of a kiss on the corner of her mouth and leading her out of the crowd.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Songs: Love to Burn; Alexz Johnson**

**Thanks once again for all of your wonderful reviews! I'm sorry I've been a little slower in posting chapters with this story but I've been hitting a tiny bit of writer's block in getting the rest of the chapters completed, mostly because my mind is stuck on the idea for my new story which I am anxious to begin writing however I refuse to until I finish this one lol. I hope this next chapter pleases my wonder readers/reviewers!**

**Chapter Thirteen**

The next eight weeks after the release party were filled with fights and PR catastrophes, after all while their announcement got a lot of good press; it also got a lot of bad. The biggest problem a lot of people seemed to be having is the fact she's keeping herself distanced from Tommy while carrying his child. It's no secret that she's been in love with him since she was fifteen so many of her fans and members of the press are outraged to see her doing this, to see Tommy suffering as he tries so hard to bite his tongue; well most days. One good thing had come out of the release party for Tommy, he'd finally convinced Jude to move into his house to allow Kwest and Sadie privacy and vice versa.

This afternoon they'd both been given the day off, mostly because the tension between them was not only bad for business but for the baby she's carrying and Darius might be a money hungry ass most days, he does want what's best for his top artist and best producer. Like the rest of those closest to them they also want her to see she's just scared, they want to see her put her fear behind her and give him another chance. A man would have to be madly in love with her to put up with the things he has the last few months since he came back from New Brunswick. Instead as soon as they got home they got into yet another fight and Tommy had taken off to cool down and think, he was trying so hard not to push the issue but some days he would do or say something that pushed the topic. She knows he can't help it, part of her is glad in his small ways that he keeps trying, it's her pride that causes her to fly off the handle about it.

When Tommy had been gone an hour she decided to seat herself at his piano in the living room, her back to the door as she begins to play. She watches her perfectly manicured nails dance over the ivory keys almost lovingly. Her eyes slowly slip closed as she gets lost in the melodies she plays not yet bothering to let the lyrics flow past cherry red lips of shimmering silk. She continues this instrumental expression of emotion continues until she hears the door open and close in the near distance behind her, announcing Tommy's return.

She acts completely oblivious to his return even as he walks up behind her, but one thing changes. Her fingers dance over the keys in a different pattern switching to a new song as her voice finally takes flight.

_I've seen you falling in and out of things  
Your heart heats up  
Your heart gets cold  
Lights up and yearns again  
What's your story?  
I don't wanna flash of glory  
Then the crash, the what was that and why'd I fall so fast?  
Slow down we've got time  
I need to know  
That you're all mine_

Tommy instantly recognized it as the song he'd written for her for her eighteenth birthday, the song she had in turn sung to him in front of everyone to let him know she was ready for the world to know how she felt about him. That night had quickly spiraled into a disaster as her birthdays often seemed to. But he can hear the emotion wrapping itself around each word she sings now, maybe more so than the first time.

_Have you got love to burn?  
Kisses for days  
Don't you want to grab onto something real  
And never let it get away?  
I don't have love to burn  
Time to waste_  
'_Cause I've waited far too long  
For the spark to become a flame  
And if it comes true  
I only have love to burn for you_

_I can live without you  
I'm happy by myself  
But you get to me  
You make me feel like there is no one else  
Whatcha doin' leavin' hearts in ruins  
Can't you see?  
For us to be  
That just won't fly with me  
Slow down  
Let's get it right  
Make it last  
Let's start tonight_

The more he listens to her sing this particular song with such pure emotion the more he starts to wonder just what she's trying to say, if she really knows he's right here with her.

_Have you got love to burn?  
Kisses for days  
Don't you want to grab onto something real  
And never let it get away  
I don't have love to burn  
Time to waste_  
'_Cause I've waited far too long  
For the spark to become a flame  
And if it comes true  
I only have love to burn for you_

_Let's see it through  
If I was sure you  
You feel this way for me  
It's gotta be much more than anything we say  
For love to ever last  
I need to know it's not just touch and go  
That you are here to stay  
Here to stay  
That you are here to say_

It was like she was asking him to promise her the one thing she'd been saying he had to prove. He kneels down beside where she sits on the bench and looks up at her, he can see the tracks of dried tears upon her cheeks and he starts to reach up to touch her.

_Have you got love to burn?  
Kisses for days  
Tonight we won't let anything get in our way  
Have you got love to burn?  
Kisses for days  
Don't you want to grab onto something real  
And never let it get away?  
I don't have love to burn  
Time to waste_  
'_Cause I've waited far too long  
For the spark to become a flame  
And if it comes true  
I only have love to burn for you_

He waited until the last word left her lips to climb onto the bench beside her, straddling it as he curls one hand against her cheek to make those beautiful ocean blue eyes to meet his own. He knows she can read the questions in his eyes without ever having to speak the words.

"It makes me crazy being so close to you and not having all of you Tommy, but I'm scared. I don't want to get hurt again, and every time you say you won't something happens and you do… But you've been so good through this pregnancy… and you keep writing these beautiful songs…" She lifts her hand to rest it on his before pulling his hand gently from her cheek and holding it in her lap.

"How is it that you're afraid I'll hurt you? What is it you're afraid I'll do Girl?"

"Tommy you left me once because you didn't think you were good enough for me… Can you tell me you think any differently of yourself now than you did then?"

"No… I still think you deserve better than me, but the difference now is I've realized I don't want to keep living my life without you. So I'd rather learn how to be a better man, learn how to be good enough to deserve you with you beside me than apart from me. Jude; you're the only person who can help me. You know me better than anyone, you understand me. You believe in me. Do you know just how important that is? You're the _only_ person who believes in me."

Now it's her hand that takes flight, molding itself gently to the curve of his cheek, her thumb brush softly against his skin as she leans towards him to rest her forehead on his. "And you are still so much better than you give yourself credit for Quincy." She leans in slightly more and brushes her silken lips against his softly and only for a moment before she breaks the kiss to watch his eyes as she continues on. "I couldn't stop loving you if I tried Tommy. I love all of you, your past, your present, and your future. But…"

"…I've got to let you in, even if it hurts."

"Right, do you think you can this time? Do you think you can really let me in no matter how bad or painful it is? Can you hold on to me when things are bad instead of running from me?"

He knows better than to answer her instantly, she wants an honest and thought out answer not a placated one. He takes a deep breath closing his eyes for a moment, squeezing them to steady his emotions before opening his eyes to look at her, knowing full well she'll see what he won't release in his eyes. "I need you Jude…" His voice isn't more than a whisper against her skin before he's sliding from the bench, pushing it back from the piano in the process to give himself room to kneel in front of her and bury his face in her lap, his arms circling her waist. He knows he doesn't need to explain, she can see into him in a way no one else ever could.

She starts running her fingers through the hair at the back of his head towards his neck, where he doesn't cement it in place with gel. She runs her nails down along the back of his neck and back up through the gel-less hair, lovingly. "I want to take it a day at a time, see how it feels to be that close again without the title, give you time to adjust to letting me in more. But don't doubt for a minute if I love you Tommy, okay?" She can feel his head move up and down slightly, nodding his agreement but unwilling to let go and face her yet. She gasps feeling the baby in her belly kick, and it had only been a month ago that her stomach had finally decided to show just how pregnant she is.

She places her hand as the baby kicks again and she can feel it kick her hand. She reaches around her and grabs one of Tommy's hands placing it on her belly beneath her own hand as the baby does it again. The look of wonderment on his face is probably one of the most priceless expressions she's ever seen on those handsome features.

He shifts slightly bring his other hand up and laying it on her belly as he looks up at her whispering, "We did this…"

"We did, and very soon we won't have to call the baby "it" any more."

"How much longer Girl?" he asks, standing up and pulling her gently with him.

"Tonight, she's staying late so we can actually take pictures home tonight without being bombarded by the paparazzi." She leans into him resting her forehead on his chest, feeling his arms wrap around her despite her growing belly. As much as she fears getting her heart broken again she can't deny, even to herself, just how right it feels to be in his arms again. "Tommy, what are you hoping for?"

"I just want you and the baby completely healthy."

"But… well if you could choose, what would you want it to be?"

"Honestly?" He pauses as he feels her head move up and down, nodding against his chest as he raises a hand to run his fingers through her hair and resting his chin lightly on the top of his head. "I'd like a little girl, just like you."

"Think you could survive a miniature me?" She pulls back to look up at him.

"Oh I'm sure you'll both drive me insane, but I'll love every minute of it. I'm sure after today you're as hungry as I am, let's go get something to eat Harrison."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Songs: Whatever it Takes; Lifehouse**

**Aw! I love all of your reviews! I can't believe I have almost 90 reviews for this story already! Yay! **chocolateelephantz:**I'm glad I made your day! I'm also happy to know you're enjoying this story! I love all of my faithful readers/reviewers, and because of this I decided to give you guys a choice, either you can wait until this story is completely finished before I post _anything_ of my new story _or_ I can post the very first chapter of it when I post chapter fifteen of this story. The most response on either option wins of course. Mind you the first part of the the next story is all I have written at this point so if it goes up consider it a teaser until this one is finished because if I start writing too much more of the other one I'll end up having problems finishing this one.**

**Chapter Fourteen**

The next morning Tommy was the first to wake up, which isn't really out of the ordinary as he was known for waking up before Jude. Then again most of Toronto was awake before her most mornings. He stretches carefully, removing his arm from he belly to reach up and brush a few strands of blond silk from her peaceful sleeping features. He can't help watching her sleep like this; often grateful it takes an act of God almost to wake her. It's still surreal to him that she's even sort of giving him a chance now. Well she had been giving him a chance to prove himself these past few months but last night she'd offered him more, which is how he found himself in bed with her this morning. It had been innocent but absolutely heaven to go to sleep beside her again without being cramped in a little hospital bed, for her to want it when they both had the option of comfortable beds.

He carefully climbs out of bed in only navy blue silk boxers and walks around to her side of the bed; leaning over her he places a soft kiss to her forehead as he brushes her hair out of his way. He straightens then and retreats to the master bathroom to shower and get dressed for the day.

An hour later he was in the kitchen pouring a glass of juice while he stares at the toaster waiting for the poptarts to pop up. It's not exactly the breakfast of champions but it was one of the best ways to get Jude out of bed. When they finally pop up he grabs them, cursing under his breath as his finger tips get a little burnt. He plops the poptarts onto a plate before putting the plate and the glass on the bed tray sitting on his table. He then reaches up into the cupboard and grabs her vitamins and places the proper dose in a little Dixie cup and adds it to the tray with a small glass of water.

He carries the tray into the bedroom and sets it on the night stand as he sits down on the edge of the bed. He leans over Jude carefully, reaching up to shake her as he says, "Harrison, it's time to wake up. Come on girl, you need to eat and get dressed, we have to be at G-Major in an hour." He grins slightly as he sees her eyes flutter beneath their lids before she rolls over onto her side facing him, now only pretending to be asleep. "Well… I guess if you don't want to wake up I'll just eat your poptarts for you…" He sits back quickly as she bolts upright as soon as that sentence finishes. He knew that would work.

"You wouldn't dare…" She glares at him.

"Hey it would have been your own fault… After all I couldn't possibly let them go to waste." He laughs as she punches his shoulder in typical Jude fashion. He then grabs the tray from the nightstand and places it over her lap before standing up. "Eat up Girl and then go get ready and I'll be waiting in the living room for you."

"Thank you Quincy." She says as she watches him walk out of the room. She sighs softly before eating her poptarts and taking her morning dose of vitamins. Her mind isn't on the tasks in front of her though; even when she gets up to shower her mind is else where.

Last night they'd found out the gender of their baby and as happy as they were to know, it made her really start thinking about some things. Most importantly who they were going to tell, in what order, and how, and she knows her list is a bit different than the list he has likely come up with. The problem is she has no idea how to bring it up. She tries to go through every possible way she can think of and how it might go while she showers and as she dresses for the day, but she can't think of a single way to start the conversation without the possibility of a huge fight and with her hormones it could get worse than any of their normal fights.

Finally at a quarter to ten she's showered, dressed, and ready to go in her blue knit baby doll top and matching Capri length pants of a rather stretchy fabric. Just as she enters the living room she sees Tommy closing his phone and the look on his face told her it wasn't a business call. "Who was it Tommy?"

"No- it doesn't matter, come on we've got to get to the studio." He says, standing from the couch and going for the door without looking at her. He didn't exactly lie but he knows if he looks at her it's going to break his resolve to pretend the call had never happened.

For now she lets it go as they drive to the studio in an awkward silence. The silence continues even as they walk into G-Major and into their usual studio where Kwest is waiting for them, "Good morning you two, who's doing what today?"

Jude looks at Tommy and nods before he walks into the booth and puts on the head phones waiting for her signal. She already knew they were going to record the song from her party for his album as she set everything up. When finished she pushes the button to speak to him, "Ready babe?" She watches him silently nod, it ripping apart her insides as he keeps up this silence. When it's time for him to start she signals and sits down looking at Kwest, she can feel the questions coming off of him in waves. "Just ask already Kwest."

"What happened with you two?"

"Last night I decided to start giving us, well him, another chance just without an actual title as to what we are. You know, do whatever comes natural, but this morning while I was getting ready he got a call that he finished just as I came into the room. He has barely looked at me since and I can't him to actually talk. I mean what could the call have been to put him in that…" She points to where he's singing in the booth, though with not even a quarter of the emotional power he should have, "kind of mood?"

Kwest turns from Jude to actually really watch Tommy for a moment before answering her "Isn't that about the look he had right before he went to New Brunswick?"

She watches Tommy as he finishes the song; she pushes the button to speak to him. "We need another take." She watches him nod and on her signal she hears him start again but still sounds as empty as the first take. "You're right, and he always pushes me away the hardest when it has to do with his hometown and his family. Maybe it's a good day we're recording this song today…" She points out as he hits a very important part of the song.

_You said if we're going to make this work  
I've got to let you inside even though it hurts  
Don't hide the broken parts that you need to see  
You said like it or not it's the way it's gotta be  
I've got to love myself if I can ever love you_

On the other side of the glass he watches his best friends talk and he knows it's about him just by the look on Jude's face especially when she watches him through the glass. Those words of the song keep echoing in his mind as he thinks about the call he'd received. It's killing him not to tell her, but on the other hand he doesn't know what damage it could do to their rather fragile relationship if he talks to her either.

After the fourteenth take they're all groaning and in need of a break. Jude announces a thirty minute break and motions for Kwest to leave while pushing the button and telling Tommy to stay put. As soon as Kwest is gone she's up and out of her chair, she places a do not disturb sign on the outside of the studio door before walking into the booth where he is only to find him now seated on the floor. She takes a seat on the floor beside him carefully, sitting sideways to allow her to face him. Even now he won't look up at her so she reaches out and curls her hand gently against his cheek furthest from her and gently pulling his face towards him. She can see the shimmer of unshed tears in his deep blue eyes and she leans forward resting her forehead against his as she sings softly.

_You've got to let me inside even though it hurts  
Don't hide the broken parts that I need to see_

Sure she'd changed the perspective of the wording around so it would make more sense coming from her in this moment, but the point was remains. She caresses his cheek with her thumb, not removing her hand as she waits for whatever reaction is going to come.

He can't help the few tears that escape as her voice fades and her thumb begins its gentle caress against his cheek, the tears sliding down over her thumb before he feels her whipping them all away and her skin feels like silk against his. He takes a deep breath and when he speaks his voice is nothing more than a whisper of warm breath against her skin. "Tristan called this morning…"

"What did he want to talk about?" She keeps her tones gentle, not wanting to push too hard or too fast.

He shakes his head and pulling from her, he stands up and knowing she's going to follow he helps her up before letting her hand go and pacing in the small booth. Everything always seemed to collapse when it came to his family; it was a part that while Jude had seen a little bit of it, letting her into the whole mess was big. It's something he's not entirely certain either of them is ready for especially with the baby. But at the same time he's afraid if he tries to hard to keep things in New Brunswick separate from her he's going to damage the progress they've made in rebuilding what they had before he destroyed it from his jail cell.

She lets him pace for a good five minutes before she stops in front of him grabbing him by his belt loops to stop him before reaching up and curling her hands against his jaw on either side, the very tip of her middle finger nearly touching his ears. "Tommy, the worst thing you can do right now is shut me out. That's the only thing that you could say or do right now that would hinder things. Please Tommy…"

He can feel her warm silken hands against his skin and with her words he forces his wandering gaze to settle finally on those ocean blue orbs of hers for a moment before he closes his eyes to try and gain a little courage. He's grateful for the sound proof booth they're in as his voice seems to waver as he goes over the entire call with her, his deep blue eyes clouding over and looking every where but at her. He finishes with, "He wants me to tell her in person. Like she's actually going to realize what year we're in, possibly not even who I am."

"Well… she should hear it from you Tommy…" Her hands have fallen to her sides some where about half way through his little speech.

"Jude you saw what happened the last time I was around her. I can't go through that again. It's exactly what I spent my life running from."

"Don't you think it's about time you stopped running?"

As she says this, his head snaps in her direction his deep blue eyes piercing into hers of ocean blue. He opens his mouth to say something then shuts it simply shaking his head. He knows that getting into a major fight with her is bad for the baby and nothing is worth hurting her or the baby.

"You need to do this Tommy. Don't you want to be able to show this to your brother in person?" She hands him the color sonogram picture they'd had done the night before. "It doesn't need to be like it was the last time you went home. You just need to let me in."

He looks down at the sonogram picture of their baby in his hand before he uses his free one to pull her head towards his own, their foreheads pressed together as his fingers get lost in her hair. "What if… what if when we go you see more, worse, than you did last time? I don't want to lose you again…" He knows her friendship would never be lost to him but they both know that's not what he means.

She reaches up brushing her fingers against his cheek, tilting her head slightly for a moment to kiss his lips softly before pulling back to really look at him. "Your past is part of who you are, good and bad, it's what has helped to shape the man I fell in love with. I know that your past isn't pretty and that this isn't going to exactly be simple, but they are your family and you need to do this. Besides, things will be different this time, maybe not with your mom, but your brother will be there and I'll be beside you. This won't change how I feel about you, okay?"

"But…"

"Quincy! Stop trying to come up with excuses… it really will be okay."

He smirks shaking his head, then sobers up as he slides his arms around her waist feeling her pregnant belly against him, and loving it. "Is it really safe for you to travel?"

"Um… yes, if you don't mind it taking a little longer to get there than last time…" When he simply gives her a questioning look she laughs, "I can't fly but I can drive."

"We can work with that, it'll allow me to stall legitimately and give me extra time with you all to myself."

"Don't you have me to yourself every night?"

"Yes, but I have to share you during the day. From the time we leave here until we reach New Brunswick I get you completely to myself."

"Well, who's going to tell Darius his best producer and best artist are going MIA again?"

"Um… you? He likes you better, and he's not as likely to yell at a pregnant rock star."

She punches his arm playfully shaking her head, "Coward. Fine, I'll tell him _if_ you agree to let me drive the viper home tonight." She finishes with a devilish grin.

His jaw drops before switching to a smirk. "Very sneaky Harrison, fine it's a deal. Just don't hit any dogs on sidewalks tonight okay?"

This time she slaps his chest narrowing her eyes at him for a moment before shaking her head. She presses her full cherry red lips against his softly, toying with his bottom lip using the tip of her tongue. The moment she hears the moan softly escape him, feeling him start to melt against her and pull her closer, she pulls away and leaves the studio in search of Darius. She knows it'll take him several minutes to process what just happened seeing as they hadn't quite discussed such intimate things or done them since her first time.

She doesn't bother knocking on Darius' door despite how much it pisses him off, and this time is no different as his loud booming voice echoes around the room. "There is a rule about knocking; just who do you think…" His voice trails off when he sees his pregnant rock star staring at him with an ever so innocent smile on her lips and he can't help laughing. After all, innocence and Jude Harrison don't seem to fit as well together now as they once did, given the very pregnant belly she's sporting.

"D, as your favorite pregnant rock star… I have a favor to ask." She smiles sweetly batting her long lashes, true she doesn't need any of it but it always gets a smile out of him and that's all she's after. If she can make him smile when she wants something he has a harder time saying no.

When she first starts he keeps that stoic expression, his hands folded in front of his face, elbows on the top of his desk. But when she starts trying to bat her lashes at him he laughs shaking his head, "Okay kid, what is it?"

"Tom and I need two weeks off."

"That's a lot of time so close to the end of your pregnancy Jude… Why?"

"Tom's brother called and wants him down there; he wants him to tell their mother about the baby before word gets to her from an outside source."

"And you want to be his morale support? You and T having this baby together is one thing, but for you to get invested in things with him and start down _that_ road again is just asking for trouble. You know his inability to commit to anyone."

"D first of all this has nothing to do with me and him in that sense, this has to do with the fact he needs someone beside him for this. He's my best friend and I want to be there for him, with him. As for anything else we could possibly become later on down the line, that's between me and Tom. I'm sorry for what happened between him and Portia but it has nothing to do with me or who he is now. He was a kid then, he's an adult now. He's also the best producer you have and he's a big part of why I'm as successful as I am and you know that. So please just give us a couple of weeks off, I promise to try and get some writing done while we're gone, but he needs this and he needs me with him."

"Fine, two weeks Jude! And you'd better come back with a hit and be ready to work until the day your water breaks!" Frustrated with her stubborn attitude he waves his hand dismissively.

Jude leaves his office as quickly as she physically can to find Tom and tell him the good news, minus the brief lecture.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N I can't believe I have over 90 reviews! Yay! hehehe I am so glad all of my loyal readers/reviewers are enjoying this story and the direction it's going! I know you're all anxious for Jude and Tommy to be officially Jommy again, but never fear! You all know or should by now that I am a major Jommy fan so it will happen, but he has to work for it!  
**

**Chapter Fifteen**

It's taken then nearly three days and three hotels to get back to his hometown, and of course about three dozen fights along the way. The only thing that seemed to put an end to the fights is his willingness to give in for the sake of her health and the baby's, mumbling under his breath every time something about how things will change after the baby's born. In a lot of ways he misses the fights they usually have, the fire that's behind them. That fire is what fuels their passion and most of the time their song writing.

As they near his childhood home he glances at Jude causing a soft smile to form on his lips. She's fallen asleep, her head resting against the window of the hummer and a blanket wrapped around her but he can still see the swell of her belly. It amazes him still and warms him that she's carrying his child. He'd always been so careful even when he was married to Portia, but that one day with Jude he hadn't given it any thought. The only thing he had on his mind when he walked into the rehearsal space that day was simply how beautiful she looked with her guitar and torn jeans and how absolutely in love with her he was and still is.

Slowly he pulls into the driveway of his childhood home and cuts the engine, undoing his belt he gets out of the car and for the moment leaves his girl sleeping in the passenger seat as his brother walks out of the front door. "Hey man, long time," He greets his brother trying to keep the peace as long as possible for the blow ups that he knows are inevitable.

Tristan nods his head in the direction of the hummer, "That her?"

"Yeah, all the traveling tired her out man. Look I know we've got a lot to talk about but do you think she can lay down inside while we have it out, outside?"

"You can lie her down in mom's room. But Tom, I'm not sugar coating things just because you brought your baby mama with you. I said you needed to tell mom, not show her." His quiet tone is full of venom.

"I'm not asking you to sugar coat anything Tristan, she wanted to come, and she wants to see… everything. She met mom last time, right after you left on the boat, she still hates me but she adored Jude. So just stow it while I get her settled then you can tear into me all you want." Tommy clenches and unclenches his fists at his sides waiting until his older brother goes to hold the door open for him. He slowly opens the passenger door of the hummer and lifts Jude out of the car bridal style and carries her in the house and into his mom's room. He lays her down gently onto the bed and covers her. He brushes the hair from her forehead with his hand and leans over kissing her forehead softly and closing his eyes before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Once both men are outside Tristan starts in almost immediately, "So you knocked up some famous _kid_ and that's why you went running back to Toronto? That's why you left mom in a home?"

"For three months I was out here with her Tristan, I left Jude in Toronto to stay with mom while you were on the fishing boat. In that time she either ignored me completely or beat me for things I did ten and fifteen years ago! She yelled, she screamed, and threw things at me and told me how perfect you are and always were! Do you have any idea what that's like? Of course not! So yes when she burnt down the damn kitchen I went home!"

"_This_ is your home Tom! Not Toronto where you're playing house with a child!"

"Jude is anything but a child! Stop talking about her like you know her!"

Tristan pulls out a clipping from one of many magazines that were running stories on the pair, "You telling me she's more than just barely eighteen and that she didn't _just_ graduate high school?"

"She is and she did, but she's more mature than I ever was at her age or six months ago. She's… She helped me grow up."

"You want her because she's young, famous, beautiful, and was forbidden for most of the time you've known her. She's just another notch on the post to you man."

Tommy's fists clench but he refrains, for now, from hitting him only because he had promised Jude. His teeth are clenched even as he speaks, "I would do anything for her, and I love that girl more than anyone can ever understand."

"Like how you loved your first wife?"

"Portia and I were young, I was stupid and on tour. But anyone with eyes can see with Jude it's different. There hasn't been anyone in the last three years who challenges me like she does. There's never, ever, been anyone who gets me the way she does. There hasn't been anyone who spent time around us since I met her that hasn't seen it."

"You still abandoned your family, your responsibilities for a girl!"

"I tried to stay here and take care of mom til she tried to burn the place down! I have all but destroyed any chance of a relationship with that woman. She's here now because she's my best friend, and she's having my baby, but she isn't really mine any more. Not like she was before, because I shut her out of me, of this!" He throws his hands up in frustration as all the things he's pent up since that day in jail come to the surface and walks towards the hummer resting his arms on it and his forehead against the window, Tristan growls in frustration and storms into the house slamming the door behind him.

The slamming of the door wakes Jude from her nap and she bolts up looking around as her eyes slowly begin to focus. It takes her a minute to realize where she is before she's climbing out of bed in search of Tommy and his brother. Tristan is the first one of the two she finds, seeing as Tom hasn't come inside yet. Tristan is pacing angrily back and forth in the living room when a very pregnant Jude enters. "You must be Tristan, and from the looks of it we've been here less than an hour and you two have already gotten into a fight."

"And you're one of the reasons for it." His voice is full of venom, though he hasn't even bothered to look at her yet.

"Not surprised, I'm the source of a lot of people's anger when it comes to Quincy. But I really hope you don't share your mom's opinion of him, or we'll really be having words."

"Don't you dare threaten me little girl, or tell me how to handle my little brother. Who the hell do you think you are? His name isn't Quincy!" He finally turns to look at her, his voice rising with every word.

"I'm his best friend and I'll call him whatever I damn well please! I don't care what his last name really is, he's _my_ Quincy, and he always will be. No wonder he didn't want to come out here and deal with you! At least your mom has a reason for not being able to see beyond his past mistakes, you don't have an excuse!" Her hands are curled on her hips as her voice starts rising to match.

Before Tristan has a chance to retort Tommy comes literally busting in the front door, "Stop! Tristan, leave her alone! "He all but screams as he comes between the two before Tristan can fully advance on her.

"Come on Tom, if she's not a little girl she should be able to handle herself shouldn't she?" Tristan folds his arms across his chest stepping closer to his younger brother.

Jude puts a hand on the chests of both men and glares at them both, "Am I going to have to stick you two in separate corners or something?" She had to admit, if only to herself, that this was a step up from seeing him around his mother. With his mother he seemed keener to take the abuse of any nature that she dished out to him, but with his brother he was willing to stand up even if it was only her he was standing up for at the moment.

"He shouldn't talk to you like that!" Tommy's expression reminds her of a child in the midst of an argument he knows he can't win.

"She's a child Thomas! She shouldn't be allowed to play at being a grown up and ruin a child's life! You shouldn't have knocked her up! You know better than that! You can't even handle being a husband, how are you supposed to be a father?"

"I don't know!" Tommy screams in frustration before storming away from both of them and into the house, the screen door slamming in his wake.

"Is that all you and your mother are good at, verbally abusing him? It's no wonder he has zero faith in himself, his own family can't even see him for who and what he really is!" She watches Tristan's mouth start to open as if he's actually going to be foolish enough to argue with her and her hand lifts as she continues. "I can see why he left here the first chance he had, I mean your mother's behavior was bad enough, but you too? You should be down right ashamed of yourself! Whatever mistakes he made when you two were younger isn't who he is _today_. Do you even know who he is now, or are you just basing your opinions on what you read in tabloids and what he _used_ to be? He is a good man. He makes mistakes, I'll be the last person to argue against that, but he's learned to admit to them and actually try and make amends for them. As for my age you can shove it. Age is nothing more than a number to mark how long your body has been here, it has no real bearing on your level of maturity and ability to be responsible as you are proving right now. He may have been a horrible husband to Portia, but that was years ago, he was different then than he is now and even she can admit that; so why can't you? Or at the very least be adult enough to take the time to find out."

She still doesn't give him the chance to respond as she turns and storms into the house, the door slamming in her wake as well as she stops in front of Tommy who had heard the whole thing from his position on the sofa. She looks at him a little sheepishly as she sits down on the arm of the sofa beside him.

"You always do that… No matter how many times I screw up when push comes to shove you defend me, no matter who it is… and you're always there to pick me up. Why?" Tommy looks up at her knowing full well that in doing so she can see the tears swelling behind his deep blue eyes.

She reaches out and curls her hand against the side of his face, a soft smile on her lips and steals his line from her seventeenth birthday, "You know why." She leans down letting her forehead rest on his lightly.

"I'm honestly not sure how I lasted so long without you in my life Girl." He pulls his forehead from hers as his arms wrap around her waist, his head coming to rest on her stomach.

Absently she begins running her fingers through his hair and along the back of his neck as one arm lay across his shoulders. "You know I'll always be there when you need me, don't you Quincy?"

It's in this moment he finally realizes just what's implied when she says his name like that, when she calls him Quincy knowing full well what his last name really is. It falls past her lips like a lover's kiss and sends chills down his spine as he tightens his hold on her waist. "God I hope so Girl."

She leans back, her hands curling around his shoulders to push him away from her slightly, forcing him to look up at her as she tilts her head to the side. "Are you having doubts Quincy?"

"I'm a first class screw up Harrison, you know this. I've almost lost you completely because of it multiple times… The last time we were here is a perfect example…"

"And I always come back don't I? We may go our separate ways for a little while, but we always end up back here don't we? I was still completely pissed off at you when I showed up at the studio Tommy, but I did it because I found out you needed me even if you couldn't admit it. I always will be, no matter what mistakes you make."

"You just don't want to date me…"

"It's not that Tommy… It's just… Whenever we put that title on us things get complicated and they get messed up and honestly it seems like when we put that title on us and what we are to each other you panic. It seems like because of how things ended with you and Portia when the title comes into things you run, like you're afraid you're going to mess up anyway so why not make it sooner rather than later. If you haven't noticed about the only things missing for us right now is the title and sex."

His eyes widen slightly as she actually says sex without blushing or stuttering or beating around the word, the fact she says it flat out nearly floors him and it takes him a moment to gain his thoughts back. "I've just messed up so badly with Angie and Portia… I don't want to do that with you… I've made mistakes, big ones with you, but so far nothing too big that it's completely cost me you like with Angie, or where you hate me like Portia… I couldn't stand either with you Jude…" He blinks rapidly trying to avoid the few tears that end up escaping anyway and rolling down his cheeks.

She reaches up and brushes them away with her thumbs as her palms rest against his cheeks. "Tommy you have to stop being so afraid of repeating your mistakes and learn from them instead. You aren't the same guy you were then. You have to if you ever want us to really have a permanent chance. You have to learn to let your past and the mistakes you made then go, stop letting them haunt you. All it's doing is hurting you."

"It's hard Jude, especially here. Tristan and my mom are going to be reminding me about them every chance they get, and filling you in on everything too." He leans forward to rest his head on her stomach again listening to a mix of Jude's heart beat and the heart beat of their baby. In moments like this it still amazes him that what's growing inside of her is apart of him, apart of them, even if sometimes he feels like in creating this with her he ruined her life.

"And you already know exactly what will happen when they do. It's not hard Tommy, you just have to listen to me instead of them and remember I don't say what I do because I'm blinded by love or fame but because I know you, really know you. End of the day you know I'll still be beside you."

He removes his arms from around her waist he stands; taking her hands in his he pulls her to her feet as well. He releases them and takes her face in his hands capturing her lips with his own in a tender and gentle kiss before resting his forehead against hers. "You should get some rest before dinner tonight Girl, that trip took a lot out of you I'm sure. Come on, I'll get you settled in."

She lets him lead her back into his mother's room and to the bed but once she's laying down she pats the spot beside her. "I'll only rest if you come here and do the same. I know you're exhausted Quincy, I can see it in your eyes."

"You lying there alone make it an irresistible offer Girl." He grins as he climbs in bed besides her lying down on his side. He motions for her to roll over with her back to him and once she does he wraps his arms around her burying his face in the side of her neck and kissing the exposed flesh softly before closing his eyes, both of them drifting to sleep almost instantly.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Songs: Good Morning Beautiful; Phil Vassar Where Does it Hurt; Alexz Johnson**

**Once again thank you, all of you, for all your wonderful reviews. I can't believe I am already one review away from a hundred! It brightens my day to know you all are enjoying this story so much and are anticipating each chapter! I am sorry my posting has slowed down a little from what it was, my newest story idea has me so pumped I keep hitting brief writers block moments with this one! But don't worry I will be finishing this one soon and before I fully start writing on the newest one! Though expect the newest one to be quite a bit longer than my first two and a bit of a different approach! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

**Chapter Sixteen**

It's not until the next morning that the pair finally wakes up, to the sound of someone banging on the door of the room they're occupying. "Tom! Get up! You're going to see mom today like it or not! Now get the hell up!" Tristan shouts from the other side of the locked door.

Tom being the lighter sleeper of the two stretches and opens a pair of foggy navy blue eyes to find a very pregnant Jude curled against his side with her arm across his chest and one of her legs crossed over his to rest between them. He can't help smiling at the sight as he wraps his arms back around her holding her body close to his. Sadly just as his eyes start to close again as he begins to really enjoy his current position, Tristan starts banging on the door again, louder this time. He actually manages to bang loud enough to wake Jude which for anyone who's ever tried to wake her knows is not an easy thing to do. He looks down into those beautiful ocean blue eyes and smiles softly, "Good morning beautiful."

She raises a brow at him and scoffs shaking her head before burying it in his chest as she mumbles, "You're delusional Quincy."

"Excuse me Girl?" He slips his hand into her hair gently tugging backwards to force her to look at him again.

"I said you're delusional. I don't get anywhere near even decent until I've been up for a couple of hours and had at least two cups of coffee, which I might add I'm not allowed to have for two more months!" She can't help sticking her lower lip out and pouting at that last bit, going this long without coffee is driving her absolutely insane.

He can't help laughing at her as he kisses her forehead and grins down at her, before starting to sing to validate his point. Or at least say it in a way she's less likely to argue it.

_Good morning beautiful  
How was your night?  
Mine was wonderful, with you by my side  
When I opened my eyes  
And see your sweet face  
It's a good morning, beautiful day_

_I couldn't see the light  
I didn't know day from night  
I had no reason to care  
But since you came along  
I can face the dawn  
Cause I know you'll be there_

As he ends the first verse she props herself up beside him on her elbow to look down at him, reaching out with her free hand to caress the side of his face, finger tips tickling the beginnings of stubble on his skin.

_Good morning beautiful  
How was your night?  
Mine was wonderful, with you by my side  
When I opened my eyes  
And see your sweet face  
It's a good morning, beautiful day_

_I never worry if it's raining outside  
Cause in here with you Girl  
The sun always shines_

He reaches up now as he begins the chorus, his fingers sifting through her silken hair combing the tangles gently with them. This truly is how he wants to wake up from the rest of his life, next to her.

_Good morning beautiful  
How was your night?  
Mine was wonderful, with you by my side  
When I opened my eyes  
To see your sweet face  
It's a good morning, beautiful day  
Good morning, beautiful day_

Part of him is screaming at him to tell her, to admit he wants this/her just like this for the rest of his life but he knows that it's too soon to be saying that, for her anyway. He starts to say something to her just as Tristan starts banging on the door again, so instead he yells at the door, "I'm up, now go away!"

"We're leaving in an hour Tom, I don't care if your little girl is ready or not, _you're_ going!" Tristan yells back before stomping away from the room.

Jude can see his temper rising and she scoots up so her head is right above his before she rests her forehead on his, her fingers getting lost in his hair as she slides her hand under his head on the side opposite of her. "Don't let it get to you… We're in this together, you know that." She then shifts, kissing his lips softly before sitting up and climbing out of bed, a mischievous grin on her lips. "Come on, we'll save time and annoy your brother at the same time by showering together."

He climbs out of bed raising a brow as he moves behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder while his hands lightly grip her hips. "I like the way you think Harrison." He kisses the side of her neck before letting her go and grabbing both their clothes while she grabs towels.

Forty-five minutes later they are showered, dressed, and ready to go. They enter the living room where Tristan is waiting impatiently, despite the hour he gave them to get ready, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm not entirely sure it's a good idea to take the kid this time Tom."

Tom opens his mouth to speak but once again Jude's temper causes her to beat him to it. "First off Tristan I'm not a kid I have a name, use it. Second I'm going, and that's final, it's not up for discussion." As soon as she's finished she storms out of the house, the door slamming shit behind her only to bounce open slightly and slam shut again as she walks over to Tristan's car, as soon as the guys reach the yard and she hears the doors unlock she climbs into the back seat of his civic and waits for them to join her.

Despite Tommy's protests he climbs into the front seat beside his brother, still muttering under his breath his objections to taking only one car. Taking only Tristan's car makes him feel trapped, unable to leave when he wants to which everyone knows will be shortly after he arrives. His obvious desire for a quick exit is the only reason Jude agreed that taking Tristan's car was for the best, which of course lost her a few points with him. Unable to tolerate the silence and not wanting to speak to his brother or discuss personal things with Jude in front of him, he turns on the radio to hear the end of a familiar song.

**And for ever endless midnight, there's a sky for a broken star.  
And there'll always be a place for you, inside my arms.  
And there's a million streets to walk down, in this city of broken hearts.  
But there'll always be a place for you, inside my arms.  
Where does it hurt?**

As the song ends the DJ's voice takes over, "And that was Where Does it Hurt from Toronto's own, Jude Harrison. Rumor has it she's due in two months to give birth to Tom Quincy's illegitimate baby. Toronto sources also state the couple recently disappeared, together. So far no one at their record label is disclosing a statement as to the truth of this or their whereabouts. But we'll keep you informed as the information becomes available to us, now onto some more great music…" And the DJ's voice finally fades giving way to a new song from Cross Fade.

Tommy and Jude bother groan but he's the first to speak on the issue. "We should be prepared for calls from Darius and Sadie over this. I doubt she's doing too well with damage control…"

"She'll do fine, she handles it better than EJ or Portia, and she's usually less ready to strangle us when things start getting crazy," Jude remarks reaching up to trail her nails lightly against the side of his neck, the side facing the door so as not to draw any more attention to the action than necessary.

As the car comes to a stop in the parking lot Tristan states simply, "We're here," before exiting the vehicle and going to the double doors to wait for the couple. He was continuing to pretend he wasn't aware of the conversation the two had been having, being a sore subject and all.

Tommy assists Jude out of the car, after all such things are becoming a little more challenging in the later stages of her pregnancy, but she is quite the trooper about it all including dealing with his family. "Well here goes nothing…"


	18. Chapter Seventeen

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Wow! I can't believe this story already has over 100 reviews! I am posting this chapter so soon after the last one to make up for what I hope was only a glitch with that chapter, or maybe even only a glitch on my end where the alert emails didn't exist! For those who read chapter sixteen and reviewed despite the glitch; THANK YOU! Hopefully the alerts will be working for this chapter.  
**

**Chapter Seventeen**

The three of them entered Miriam Dutois room, one walking with confidence and loving pride while the other two move with cautious almost hesitant steps. They find her sitting on her couch with a blanket over her lap watching a typical soap opera, oblivious to their presence until Tristan sits down beside her. "Hey mom, someone's here to see you." Tristan motions for Tommy to join them.

Tom kneels down to the side of his mother so as not to block her show, he knows better than that, "Hey mom." He winces as the sound of his voice causes her to look at him and the look on her face is of pure disgust. He'd hoped she wouldn't be filled still with the vision of him from fifteen years ago but he can tell by her expression she is. He decides to try and lesson the loathing by pointing out Jude's presence, seeing as some his mom adored her despite her feelings of him. "Jude's also here to see you, look." Instead of pointing in her direction he stands and holds his hand out to Jude.

"Hey Miriam…" Jude says cautiously as she takes Tommy's hand, not really sure how his mother is going to take to her begin very pregnant as she stands in front of her.

Miriam doesn't even seem to grasp it as she grabs Jude's free hand between both of her own, her smile blooming across her features. "Oh! You came back! I wondered where you'd gone, and no one would tell me!" At the last of her words she shot a glare in Tommy's direction before pulling Jude to sit down beside her, causing her son to have to release her other hand.

"I had to go back to work for a while, my boss was angry with me and needed me back. But this time we were granted some vacation time so I won't disappear so quickly. But Tommy and I have something to tell you…"

"Oh! Let's not talk about him… he's trouble… You should spend some time with my Tristan… You'd love him; he's such a good boy." Miriam starts going off about Tristan's good points and listing everything Tommy's ever done to disappoint his mother. Mind you she doesn't bother to voice her own mistakes and her own abuse of her younger son.

It takes Jude about twenty minutes of listening to Miriam before she simply can't take any more, especially with the added hormones coursing through her. "Enough! Good lord woman! Do you realize Tom is sitting right there!" She motions with her hand to where he sits on the floor beside his mother silently, his teeth and hands clenched tight to keep his silence and keep his tears at bay. Jude sees his eyes start to widen as she continues, "I get it, Tommy made some bad choices as a kid and he left you. But in doing that he was able to build a good life for himself. He got into a lot of trouble along the way but he pulled through and he is a good man!" She looks towards Tristan glaring. "Say one word, I dare you Tristan."

"I'll say several. You're a naïve child who hasn't a clue what or who she's involved with!" Tristan shouts from where he sits in a chair behind Tom.

Jude is off the couch before anyone can even think to react and for someone seven months pregnant it's pretty amazing. It seems as if she's just reached Tristan, but his hand is already resting against his cheek and the sound of her hand slapping his cheek harshly is fading now. "I warned you. Tom is a good man, you don't know him, neither of you do! All you seem to see is the mistakes he's made, not the good he's done or the man he's become! He has been there for me since the day I met him and not just with my career. He's always gone above and beyond what _any_ producer would have done for their artist, from day one." She rests her hand on Tom's shoulder as she turns to face Miriam again. "My relationship with your son isn't always perfect because he's still learning and so am I, but he's more than worth whatever heartbreak I endure while we're in this learning process. The thing we really came to tell you Miriam is that I'm… no, we're pregnant. In two months Tommy and I will be having a baby girl." She watches his mother's reaction, watching a she sees the wheels turning in the woman's chaotic mind.

"I'm… going to be a grandma?" She looks absolutely confused as she glances between Tommy and Jude and even looks to Tristan a few times trying to really make sense of it all. Some how all the yelling Jude had done before her announcement hasn't registered. Then something odd seems to click and she looks between both of her sons. "No. No. No. It should be Tristan, it needs to be Tristan! You can't do this! You're just an ignorant rebellious child!" Before anyone could stop her she had launched herself at Tom, hitting him with the same venom in her movements she'd had the last time the pair had been here.

Miriam had managed to bust Tommy's lip before Tristan was able to pry her off of him. Tom stands angrily and looks at everyone for a moment before stopping at Tristan first, "I warned you this was a bad idea, didn't?!" His gaze shifts then to his mother, "And you… I'm sorry I was an accident, I'm sorry I ruined your damn life, but I won't let you ruin mine!" He grabs Tristan's keys off the table by the door then and walks out. Before anyone can stop him, including Jude, he's already in the car and speeding off down the road.

Being so pregnant Jude had only made it to the door of the building in time to see him speed off, knowing there was nothing she could do physically she tries texting him as she goes back into his mother's place. She simply asks him to be careful and tells him she loves him, she hopes it's enough to keep him from doing anything stupid.

Once she's back in Miriam's place she slams the door shut behind her to get their attention as she lays into them. "What in the hell was all of that? Tristan, what did Tom mean?"

Tristan runs his hand through his hair as he sits down again; Miriam had scurried off to her bedroom in tears when Jude had stormed in. "Mom and dad had wanted to stop after me, they only ever wanted one kid. Well some how mom's birth control failed and she got pregnant with Tom. When they found out dad wanted her to get an abortion, she didn't believe in those and some how they managed to stay together; for a while. But she went through a lot before dad finally took off, and it messed her up. She went to drinking, heavily, and taking it out on Tom. She always told him he was an accident, a mistake. The rest you'll have to talk to Tom about, there's a lot I don't know and a lot it's simply not my place to tell." He watches Jude for a moment before leaning back in his seat and looking at her with curiosity. "What is it about him? If he's hurt you as much as you said he has, why are you with him? Why do you go back to him? If he screws up so much…"

She looks Tristan right in the eye as she answers without hesitation, "Because I love him." She shrugs her shoulders then moving to sit down on the sofa Miriam had previously occupied. "He made a ton of mistakes in the beginning I won't deny that. Some of them were stupidity, some were out of fear, and some were out of ignorance. He's more intelligent than anyone gives him credit for, even himself, but at the same time he's ignorant. He's been all over the world, he's seen things that most will go to their graves without experiencing, but there are some things he's very new to. The biggest one of those is love. Relationships are another lesson he's learning, that whole commitment thing. Our relationship has always been complicated and always will be that way, but no matter what happens we always come back to each other. That's the thing about real love, it doesn't matter how many mistakes someone makes you don't stop loving them and you don't turn your back on them. You help them learn from them and grow past them. There-"

Jude's interrupted by the sound of her cell phone going off playing the chorus for Transparent Lies, something it only played when the number wasn't in her phone book. She pulls her phone out, flips it open and answers the call. "Hello? This is her." There's a long pause as her eyes get twice their normal side and her jaw seems to almost literally hit the floor. It takes her a moment before she's shaking her head to pull herself together enough to respond to the person on the phone. "I'll be there in a few minutes." She closes her phone and looks at Tristan, "Does your mom have a car we can use?"

"I think so, why?"

"That was the hospital, Tom's been in an accident and I need to get down there but I don't know how to get there, so I need you to drive me, I don't care one way or another if you stay but _I_ need to be there." She barely paused in her answer letting the words come rushing forth in a hurry as she heads for the door barely giving him a chance to follow behind her.

He drives at record speed, not actually following the speed limit, far more afraid of his passenger than the local authorities. It's less than ten minutes after the phone call that he's pulling up to the front of the hospital and watching as this very pregnant young girl gets out of the car. He can't bring himself to follow her in, but he remains in the parking lot in his mother's car.

Jude runs, or well as close to running as she can in her condition, into the lobby of the hospital and straight to the receptionist desk. "I'm here for Thomas Dutois. He was brought in by ambulance, they just called me…"

The receptionist types away at her computer for a moment before nodding. "Miss Harrison if you'll take a seat for just a moment I'll page the doctor on his case to come and speak with you. There's a private waiting room around that corner." She points around to the left of the desk to a room set aside for families of accidents such as his to wait for the doctor's news in private.

Jude nods silently walking into the room and nearly collapsing onto the couch, she leans forward and buries her head in her hands as she waits. The ten minutes it takes for the doctor to open the door with a soft click and a slight squeak of his shoes on the linoleum floor, feels more like an eternity to her. She looks up when he enters in his white coat and silver/gray clipboard in his hands. "How is he? What happened? Can I see him?"

"Easy Miss Harrison, Mr. Dutois was in a car accident as I'm sure they informed you over the phone. He was driving far above the speed limit giving him almost no control of the vehicle when he ran a red light and slammed into the side of an 18 wheeler. He's got a broken leg, some broken ribs, a concussion, and several abrasions over most of his body. He's in surgery right now to deal with some internal bleeding that I'm reasonably certain we'll get under control. Our biggest concern actually is the reason he was driving so recklessly and why when the ambulance first arrived he didn't even want to be saved. It wasn't until your name came over the radio in the ambulance that he seemed to snap out of it and find a will to fight. We usually don't see this except in drug abusers, alcoholics, and suicide cases."

She listens as the doctor speaks, feeling as though her heart is going to explode out of her chest as she listens. When she realizes he's asking her a question she snaps out of it pulling herself together. "He left his mom's place upset. They'd had a falling out, but things… I've gotten the impression he was abused growing up and she's got early set Alzheimer, so when she sees him she recognizes him but in her mind he's still the same kid she was abusing fifteen years ago or more. She laid into him and he just kind of lost it, it was too much for him and he took off. She has this odd ability to instantly make him feel totally worthless…"

"Well Miss Harrison I thank you for your cooperation, if you'll follow me I'll take you to the recovery room where you can wait for him to get out of surgery. They'll keep him in recovery until he fully wakes up, then he'll be set up in a private room."

She nods, not bothering with a verbal response as she follows the doctor out of the waiting room and through the double doors and into an elevator. They exit on the second floor and she follows him down a long hallway and through into a room marked 'recovery 1' and takes a seat in a chair in the corner of the room to wait.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Songs: Don't You Dare; Alexz Johnson**

**Thank you all of my loyal readers/reviewers for all of your wonderful reviews! I truly hope you enjoy this chapter and I feel I should warn you we are getting fairly close to the end! But never fear, shortly after this story ends I will have a new one up for you to enjoy and that one is looking to prove longer than my first two!**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Three hours after Jude had arrived to the hospital they've finally brought Tommy into the recovery room. The surgery had ended up being more complicated than first assumed especially with the complications, but she hadn't been paying nearly as much attention to the doctor's words as she should have been. Instead her attention is on the man lying in the hospital bed beside her still asleep from the anesthesia. Once the doctor has left the room she reaches up and takes his hand into hers, her other hand lifting as she brushes her fingertips along his cheek gently. Her touch is so light it's almost as if she's afraid he'll break beneath it if she's not careful. Her voice is so soft as she speaks, trailing her fingertips along his skin and the abrasions marring the velvet canvas. "You were supposed to be careful… You can't go leaving me now Tommy… Not just because of our little girl, she needs you, but so do I… More than I ever admit to. I'm scared to death of you hurting me again, but I'm even more afraid of losing you." She lowers her hand and folds her arm on the rail of his bed letting her head rest there as she begins to do the only thing that comes to mind in a moment like this, she begins to sing.

_Dark clouds moving in  
Just one fall of rain'  
Would wash away  
Wash away the pain_

_Just one ray of sun, to warm my skin  
And rid me of the cold you're drowning in_

_I could say that I don't care  
But the truth is I'd follow you anywhere  
I've been waiting such a long, long time  
Don't you dare change  
Your mind…_

_Seems so close to me  
Yet still beyond my reach  
Calling me and playing hide and seek  
Look behind that door  
I'm the one you've been searching for  
And I'm not a little girl anymore_

She can feel his hand moving beneath her own as he's starting to come out of the anesthesia. She lifts her head to look at him, but continues to sing softly, her mind going back to that day in the church near the farm house her family owns.

_I could say that I don't care  
But the truth is I'd follow you anywhere  
I've been waiting such a long, long time  
Don't you dare change  
Your mind…_

She brings his hand to her lips kissing it softly as she watches his eyes flutter, opening just as she begins the next verse.

_Don't wander round  
Looking for someone to replace me  
Don't wander round  
Wasting the rest of your life  
Don't wander round  
Waiting for someone else to save you  
And don't you make the same mistake  
Twice…_

He slowly pulls his hand from hers, reaching up he touches the side of her face, curling his hand there despite the slight tremor in his hand from the drugs.

_I could say that I don't care  
But the truth is I'd follow you anywhere  
I've been waiting such a long, long time  
Don't you dare change  
Your mind…_

_I could say that I don't care  
But the truth is I'd follow you…  
I've been waiting such a long, long time  
Don't you dare change…  
Your mind…_

_Don't change your mind  
Don't change your mind…_

"You scared the living hell out of me Quincy." She doesn't pay mind to the tears that slip past her lashes and spill down her cheeks and even over his hand.

"I'm so sorry Girl…" He shifts his shaking hand, brushing away her tears before holding his arms open to her. He waits as she moves the rail down so it doesn't hit her stomach as she leans over the bed carefully letting him wrap her arms around her. He strokes her hair as he kisses the top of her head.

It takes her a couple of minutes to pull herself together, damn pregnancy hormones, and she straightens up kissing his forehead before nodding towards the door. "I'm going to go let them know you're awake, I'll be right back."

As soon as he hears the door close behind her he lets his guard down, allowing his own tears to fall. He can still see the crash vividly and all he could think then and even now is that he'd never see her again, that he'd never hold his daughter. He knows he scared her, but hell he was scared too! He has a feeling he'll be seeing the accident on replay in his mind for some time to come, but his plan is to force himself to keep it together in front of her, to be strong for his Girl.

He takes a deep shuddering breath and rubs at his eyes viciously as he hears the door start to open, trying to erase the evidence that he'd been crying in hopes she won't notice. He offers a weak smile as she walks into the room with a nurse behind her.

"Mr. Dutois, it's good to see you awake, in a few minutes we'll move you upstairs to your room. You're going to have to stay with us for a few days I'm afraid to make sure we really have your internal bleeding problem under control." The nurse who had come in with Jude says before smiling brightly and walking back out of the room to check on the status of his room upstairs.

"So, wanna sneak me out of here?" He asks trying to keep her from seeing his fear and the tears he hadn't shed as well as the fading evidence of the ones he had. He wasn't big on hospitals, especially on an overnight or multiple night basis, it wasn't the needles for him it was just too empty and lonely for his liking.

"Sorry Quincy you've got to follow doctor's orders." She stands next to his bed, the side with the railing still down, and takes hold of his hand while they wait. "Bright side, we'll have a chance to talk and you can't run away from me." Her smile is faint and partially playful with her words, though she's also some what serious. There are several topics she plans to cover, despite his recent accident, though maybe it's more because of it that she plans to discuss things so soon, too afraid of losing him before she has a chance.

His brow arches slightly as he tilts his head a bit looking up at her, "Uh-oh, why don't I like the sound of that?"

"Because all guys get nervous when their girlfriend wants to talk," She brings his hand up to her lips again pressing the softest kiss to his knuckles as she looks down at him with her big ocean blue eyes.

He can feel his heart begin to race at the sound of the word she'd chosen to use. It was in an almost generic context but at the same time it seemed like she was still labeling their relationship for real finally, "You saying you're mine Harrison?"

"Quincy I've always been yours, even when you didn't know it. But yes, all official like again. I don't want to keep waiting and risk missing my chance because I was too afraid of you repeating your mistakes."

He opens his mouth to say something when the door to the room opens once again and the orderly enters pushing an empty wheelchair to take him to his new room. "Miss if you'd like you can follow us up to the sixth floor." He assists Tommy in getting out of the bed and into the wheelchair. Once he's situated and Jude has grabbed all of his belongings and her own the three of them head off silently through the hallway to the elevator and up to the sixth floor.

Once the orderly helps Tom into the new bed and gets him all settled in his new room they're once again alone she sits down on the edge of the bed facing him. "So, I know the talk has you full of nerves, I'm going to be nice and not keep you in suspense." She pauses, taking a breath as she looks towards the window before settling her gaze back on those deep blue eyes of his. "You know that I love you right?" She watches as he nods, she can see a look of worry and fear in those eyes. "I'm not sure if there is a way for you to guarantee me that you won't hurt me the way you have in the past. But I do know that I love you with all of my heart, and that I can't bear the thought of us being with anyone other than each other. I want us to work Tommy, not just for the baby's sake but for ours. Things have got to be different this time though. You need to really start seeing yourself for who and what you truly are and not what's been beat into you throughout your childhood, okay? If it takes seeing someone, then do it. I'll be beside you every step of the way, but you've got to fight your way through you past Quincy. Though right now you just need to face it, I know the way she treats you sucks but you're old enough to stand up to her now and not let her keep talking to you that way. You don't have to get mean or even disrespectful about it; you just need to voice it."

"You're the only person who's ever stood up for me like that Girl, you have no idea what that means to me." He reaches up to touch the side of her face gently with a shaking hand. "I love you so much Jude, I'll do everything in my power not to make a mess of things any more. I'll try and learn to see things through your eyes. I need you to promise me though that if I forget and start to screw up, start and try and run because of my own insecurities and my past you'll kick my ass instead of letting me go?"

"Oh you can count on it Quincy. Your days of running away from me and your past are over." She leans over, careful not to hurt him, and kisses him softly the tip of her tongue teasing his lower lip for a brief second before she pulls back with a grin.

"Oh that's just not right Harrison… Here I am stuck in a hospital _and_ a cast and you go and torment me?"

"I'll think about making it up to you when you're out of here. For the time being you need to get some sleep." She stands from the bed leaning down to kiss his forehead before she moves away from the bed towards the arm chair, only to feel his hand weakly curl around her wrist and tug her towards him.

"Where do you think you're going Harrison?"

She arches a brow and phrases her words like a question, "To sleep in the arm chair?"

"I'd much rather have you up here with me, there's room for both of you honest. Please?" He sticks his lower lip out slightly in a pout offering up those puppy dog eyes at her.

"Are you sure? I mean really because I don't want to hurt you…"

"You'll hurt me more if you sleep in that chair Girl." He tugs on her wrist again gently, "You know we'll both sleep better if you do…"

"Okay Quincy, you win." She smiles, not minding in the least that she lost this argument. She waits until he carefully scoots over against the other railing before she climbs into bed beside him lying on her side facing him. She carefully rests one arm across his stomach and her head on his shoulder in the crook of his neck and releases a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. "I love you Tommy."

He runs his fingers through her hair gently playing with the short platinum strands as he rests his cheek on the top of her head. "I love you too Jude." That's the last either speaks as they both drift off to sleep on the small hospital bed, not really caring what rules they might be breaking.

**A/N ThinkPink14148: I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and the results of surgery and the like. You are one of my favorite reviewers! **

**Yes I love all of my reviewers, but there are some of you who just make me smile or giggle when you review and always have some new way to let me know what you like and hope for in the next chapter. **


	20. Chapter Nineteen

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N I am so excited! I am so glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter so much! Yay! Hopefully you'll get a kick out of this one!**

**ThinkPink14148: I have thus far read your story Secrets, of course it wasn't until about three days ago I figured out why I couldn't leave a review. So I'll instead let you know here I love it! I can't wait for you to finish the sequel! **

**For those of you who haven't read her story "Secrets and the Lies I Told Him" you really should! **

**KrazyKarah: Tristan does know Tommy's in the hospital, he's just a jerk and is still too mad at him to bother showing up until Jude calls him to pick them up of course.**

**So sorry this took so long to post! I have been working on chapter 22 of this story and it's taking me forever! Lots of music and different little things going on and right now it's at 13 pages on msword, and I am a little over half finished! So hopefully it will be finished soon so that chapter 20 won't take so long for me to post! Can't wait to see what you guys think!**

**Chapter Nineteen**

Tommy had to spend nearly a week in the hospital before the doctors were finally willing to release him. It was on the very morning of his release that she's in the hall on the phone to Tristan while Tommy is signing the papers he has to for his release. He should be listening to the instructions he's being given, but his attention is on the blond standing out in the hall moving around as if agitated by the call. He shakes his head looking back up to the nurse who is preparing to discharge him and offers a half smile as he nods silently and signs where he is told.

It's not until the last signature is done that Jude finally walks back into the room plastering a rather fake smile onto her face as she nears his bed. She leans over and kisses his forehead before asking, "Ready?"

"More than," He reaches up and takes her hand waiting as the nurse leaves to get a wheelchair for him along with the crutches he would be taking with him. Once she's gone he turns to Jude, "So who was it that had you in an uproar out there?"

"You saw that?" A soft hue of crimson dances its way onto her pale cheeks as she shakes her head. "That brother of yours is infuriating. Darius was easy, he understands if it takes us a little longer to get home than planned, so long as we both write whenever possible. Of course I also had to swear to never under any circumstances tell anyone else how soft he really is."

He laughs, "Yeah D is only really a softy when it comes to you; his platinum blond platinum album artist. This mean I'm not finished dealing with my family?"

"Sorry Quincy, you've still got some healing to do." She smiles at him just as the nurse returns with the wheelchair.

"Are you ready to go Mr. Dutois?" She rests his crutches against the side of his bed as she arranges the foot pedals on the chair according to his needs. One is folded to the side out of his way to allow him to sit down while the other is elevated with a padded piece that will go under his calf barely below the back of his knee.

He nods but says nothing as he scoots to the edge of the bed, wincing slightly. He allows Jude to help him, ignoring his pride as it screams at him to be foolish and attempt this on his own. Once he feels the chair behind him he releases his hold on her and lowers himself into the chair slowly as Jude lowers the foot piece under the foot of his good leg.

Jude follows the nurse, carrying Tommy's belongings and his crutches to where Tristan is parked in front of the hospital doors. She helps him into the front seat of the car before loading the crutches and his bag in the trunk and getting in. She had already warned Tristan not to start anything, though she knew it probably would only last a little while, until they got to the house if they were lucky.

The drive to the house had been silent, but both Tommy and Jude had seen Tristan's knuckles turn white as he gripped the wheel. Jude especially knew what the older Dutois was holding back.

Jude helps Tommy out of the car before handing over his crutches to let him try on his own, awkwardly after a few minutes he gets his bearings and makes his way into the house to wait while Jude gathers their things from the bedroom.

He sits down on the couch in the living room putting his crutches beside him just as Tristan walks in. "I'm sorry about your car man. Listen before we head home I'll ask Jude to go with you to pick out a new car. "

"Is money just one giant Band-Aid to you Tom? I mean you're already trying to make up for your rebellious youth by putting mom in the most expensive place you could find." Tristan folds his arms across his chest as he sits across from Tom in a recliner.

"That's not what this is about! Look, I destroyed your car so I'm trying to do the right thing and replace it. I put mom in the best home in town because of their quality of care, not their cost! I did it because I couldn't handle taking care of her! It's a little hard to take care of someone who hates you!"

"You know running was one thing when you were a kid Tom but it's different now, you're supposed to be an adult! She may still view you as a kid because of what's wrong with her but that doesn't mean you need to have a childish response to it!"

"I did what was best for her Tristan!"

"No you did what was best for you so you could keep running away, so you could go back to bed with your teenage tramp!"

Tommy pushes himself from the couch to a standing position, ignoring the burning and throbbing pain in his leg from what little amount of pressure he was applying to it. "Want to try saying that again?"

Tristan stands closing the distance between himself and Tom, "You may have dropped out Tom but you aren't deaf, you heard me."

"Say something like that again and it might be you who's in the-" His words are cut short as Jude storms into the room, the click of her heels on the wooden floors cutting through their verbal banter.

She places a hand on either of their chests, her voice firm. "Sit down, both of you!" She turns to Tommy first, "Tommy don't start making threats you are not currently capable of carrying out." Jude turns then back to Tristan and even Tommy can see her rearing up for a fight. "Tristan you're the older brother, shouldn't you know better than this? Besides if you want to call me names you should be saying them straight to my face not saying them to your brother. You are faced with a choice Tristan. You can either accept our relationship or continue to ride Tommy about it and call me names and risk losing your brother all together. Let me make this clear, had Tommy died in that accident because of you guys getting him riled up enough he took off there would have been hell to pay."

"You should take your own lesson to heart little girl and not make threats you can't follow through."

"Trust me Tristan, that's not a threat it's a promise." She turns then and grabs their stuff as she looks to Tommy. "Let's go Quincy." She holds the door open and lets him go out first before following after, shooting a glare in Tristan's direction as she does daring him to piss her off right now by saying or doing anything further.

Once they're settled into the car, him in the passenger seat and her in the drivers, he looks at her seriously. "Maybe it was a mistake coming back here Jude… I mean look at how I ended up, and all this stress can't be good for the baby."

"Maybe, but we're already here and tomorrow we'll finish what we set out to do, you'll talk to your family though maybe one at a time would be best, but you'll talk and you'll make peace. Whether they accept your choices in the end is up to them, but you need to actually let them know who you really are not let them live in the past of who you were so that you can get past who you were and realize fully who you are. You're a good man Tommy. Yes you have made mistakes in the past and you will make hundreds more before your lifetime is over, but it's learning from them that defines you. Mistakes are part of being human, no one's perfect." She reaches over and rests her hand on his good thigh, glancing at him for only a moment with a soft smile. "I've made mistakes too. For one I shouldn't have taken this long to let you back in, to admit we should be an _us_. I'm just lucky you still wanted it when I was ready."

"Girl, I would have waited through eternity if that's what it took. Though I have to admit I'm glad it didn't take that long. I just don't want my history to scare you off, and while I know yours and how bad things got for you, I was there with you through a lot of it. This is different, uglier than you've seen."

"I gathered that from what Tristan said."

"What did he tell you, and when?"

"Right after you took off, before I got the call from the hospital. He explained to me what that last little fight you and your mom had was about. What you meant by what you said to her. He only gave me the very basics of the why, not the full extent of what you personally went through. He said I needed to get that from you." She sighs, pausing as they pull up to the hotel she'd booked for the remainder of their stay in New Brunswick. "I'm not asking you to explain right this minute either, but I do want to know. I want you to talk to me, to really let me in and see what helped to shape the man I fell in love with. Knowing isn't going to change how much I love you, but maybe talking about it will let you make peace with it. Think about it, okay?"

He swallows hard forcing the tears back, not letting them spill from his deep blue eyes as he nods and gets out of the car along with her. It bugs him to no end he has to let her get the bags do to lacking in free hands but he follows her into the hotel just the same.


	21. Chapter Twenty

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N First off I want to thank SanzoLatino91 for pointing something out to me with Jude's hair color in the end of chapter 18. It is supposed to still be longer with the red roots showing. Seems it's a bad idea for me to watch the final season of IS while writing this lol. I do hope you all enjoy this chapter though!**

**ThinkPink14148: I know I left you comments on your story Between You and Me but I wanted to tell you here too so my other readers will know what a kick ass story you're working on! I was so amazed when you posted _four_ updates yesterday! **

**Finally, I am glad you guys hate Tristan! That means I did my job as a writer! so, yay me! Okay I watch way too much Disney channel... Anyway thanks to all of my wonderful loyal readers and reviewers and to those who added me to their favorite author and/or story lists! I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter up, these next few should go up faster like normal, it just took me a long time to finish chapter twenty- two and when I post it you'll know why!  
**

**Chapter Twenty**

They've been back home in Toronto for three weeks now as she is ending the first week of the eighth month of her pregnancy, and while she feels as large as a whale in actuality she's rather small for someone so far into their pregnancy. When they'd seen her doctor the previous day for a check up she'd discovered she'd only gained eighteen pounds so far and their baby girl made up five pounds of that already, the rest is just the amniotic fluid surrounding her. Their doctor assured both of them it was perfectly normal and she might not gain more than another pound or two between now and delivery, if that. She assured them that both Jude and the baby are perfectly healthy and despite all the stress from New Brunswick and the lives they lead daily it was causing no harm to either. She was set to continue right up until her water breaks, which of course caused Jude to tease Tommy about giving birth right in studio A of G-Major causing him to turn rather white.

Now after a normal long day in the studio they're lounging in bed idly watching a television show on DVD to relax and unwind, as this was a more comfortable location for the mommy-to-be. The series they'd started this week is The Tribe, something she'd caught a little of on cable a few months ago before the network stopped airing it and she'd gone to EBay to purchase the entire set to satisfy her curiosity and such Tommy into the story line. He had protested in the beginning but now as they near the end of the first season he's been sucked into the story as well, curios to see just what will happen next.

Except tonight, for some reason he can't keep his mind on the show or even his beautiful Girl. His mind is stuck on New Brunswick and his family there due to an irate call once again from his brother. Though this time his brother was calling to check in on him and see if he'd talked to Jude about issues that were brought up during the beginning of their visit, the things that resulted in the accident he was in. Thankfully the only thing he was still healing from was the trauma of the situation and some of the scraps and bruises he'd received, though even most of those had faded away, but he's been cast free for two days already.

He's so lost in his thoughts as he idly plays with Jude's hair he doesn't realize when she stops the show or speaks to him. It's not until she sits up and turns to face him that he realizes anything that's changed. He looks at her with a confused expression, "Why'd you stop it Girl?"

"We need to talk." She states so simply, she sees the fear creeping into his features and swirling in the depths of his eyes but she shakes her head before elaborating. "Something's bothering you, and you're so absorbed in whatever it is that you haven't noticed anything other than my hair for the last hour. So what's wrong Quincy?"

He sighs and scoots to a seated position beside her, his back resting against the headboard of the king size bed before lowering his head slightly. "Tristan called today."

She nods but stays silent waiting for him to continue, hoping when he does he'll look at her.

"He wanted to know how we were doing, how your pregnancy was, and whether or not I had talked to you. You know, about that first little incident between mom and I."

"You mean about your childhood, the stuff you've been avoiding discussing at all costs."

"It's not that Jude. Well okay it is because I have been. But you don't get it, I know your family is messed up now but it's not the same as what I grew up with, lived through up until I left for Boyz Attack."

"From what little Tristan was willing to tell me I get that, I understand that. What are you afraid of in telling me Tommy?" She reaches up now putting her fingertips under his chin and gently lifting it in her direction to gain eye contact.

He looks at her, taking her hand from under his chin into his own and brings her fingers to his lips. He kisses them softly and blinks trying to keep the moisture forming behind his eyes right where it is and takes a deep breath before trying to answer her. "Losing you mostly, but also if I tell you I have to relive all the things I've spent most of my life running from." He can feel his chest tighten with all the emotion he's trying to repress, and from the fear of her reaction to his words.

She pulls her hand gently from his grasp and places it against his cheek letting her thumb brush against his skin. "Just because you finally stop running from your past doesn't mean I'm going to run from you Tommy. Didn't we cover this before? But you do need to start facing this so it will stop eating you up inside." She shifts positions then moving to carefully straddle his lap, as close to his chest as her belly will allow. She loops her arms loosely around his neck as she feels his go around her waist. She rests her forehead against his, her fingers playing with the hair in the back of his head just above the nap of his neck.

"How can you be sure you won't want to? I start dealing with this and you're going to find out just how messed up I am, and I'm not even worthy of you as it is." His voice is barely above a whisper as his fingers find their way under the back of her shirt, pushing the shirt up enough he can rest his hands against her warm silken skin.

"No matter what happened to you, what you've been through, it won't make me love you any less Quincy, and you're worth so much more than you realize because of what you went endured. Talking to me might let you make peace with it and realize that finally. At the very least it might at least allow you to let it go and stop it from haunting you. We share a bed Tommy, so it's not like I don't know."

"Tristan said he told you that I was an accident, a mistake and that things got bad after dad left. I've told you before she's not a pleasant drunk but it was worse than I've admitted previously Jude…" He closes his eyes, sighing as his forehead remains resting on hers, his voice hardly more than a whisper. "You've heard how she talks to me now, but that's actually pleasant by comparison. I think I would have been okay with one or the other, the physical or the verbal…" He continues on into the darker details of his childhood, desperately trying to tell himself it silently that some of it was deserved, that they're right and he doesn't know how to be a father or a husband; as proved by his brief marriage to Portia.

His words finally slow for a moment, coming to a conclusion as he takes a deep breath still fighting the tears that had swarmed behind his navy blue eyes during the beginning of his story. "Both is what made things even more unbearable, and the fact that by the time I left at twelve I'd heard it long enough I figured she had to be right. So I tried to make myself better, but then with Boyz Attack came the groupies, the parties, the drinking. So I ended up proving them right instead of wrong. When I started producing and really came up in the world in that part of the business, I thought I was finally changing things. Then came all of the drama surrounding you, all the lectures from Darius, he didn't want me with you beyond the professional aspect from the moment he brought Shay to the studio. Not that he wanted Shay with you either, but that had more to do with trying to keep him single in general to create more fans and more money. No matter how hard I tried or how wrong it was or is, or what anybody's said; staying away from you is the one thing I seem incapable of above all else. But then I guess you know that. But there it is Girl, the naked truth. If you wanted to end it I'll understand, I'll play by whatever rules you decide on and I'll make sure you're both fin-"

Jude knows where his sentence is going and stops him the quickest way possible. She captures his lips with her own in a kiss so full of love, fire, and passion it's a wonder nothing burns. When she breaks the kiss she places two of her fingers on his lips to keep him from talking before she can. "I'm sorry Tommy, for everything she put you through. It was wrong of her, and she is so very wrong about you. You are so much more than you realize. Your marriage to Portia has no reflection on your abilities as a boyfriend or a husband now. You made a mistake, but you learned from it, maybe too much. It made you so careful you're afraid to hold on to what you want." She removes her fingers from his lips now, kissing him again though this time it's only for a moment before she's talking again. "I don't have a clue how to be a mom any more than you know how to be a dad, so we get to figure it out together. That's how it's supposed to be. Most people have no idea what in the world they're doing the first time they have a kid. So we'll figure it out as we go, as a team. You know we make a hell of a team Quincy, no matter what we're doing. We're unstoppable together musically, and we'll be the same in everything else. Just have faith in us and in yourself, like I do."

"But… up until a few weeks ago you didn't have faith in me, to be able to stick around in a relationship Jude."

"I was scared you'd refuse to listen to me as you have in the past and run because of it. If you trust me Tommy and hold on to me instead of running from me we'll be okay. But I never stopped having faith in you or believing in you. I never will."

This time he's the one to initiate the kiss, capturing her lips with his own, and his tears spilling down his cheeks and touching the corners of both their mouths as he deepens the kiss. He whispers 'I love you' repeatedly into the kiss, feeling her say the words back to him as he slides his hands further up her shirt, silently asking permission to remove it. When it's given the break the kiss long enough to remove her shirt before resuming for a moment only to pull apart again to remove his. Once she's tossed it aside his hands grasp her hips and he looks into her ocean blue eyes asking, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, please." She captures his lips again even as they carefully untangle their bodies to get out of bed and clumsily remove the rest of their clothing.

When their clothing is nothing but a scattered mess on the floor he lifts her up from the floor, her legs wrapping around his waist as he crawls back onto the bed with her. He lies her down onto it, lying beside her for a moment taking in just how beautiful she looks like this, watching the crimson blush paint itself upon her cheeks as she starts getting self conscious due to the pregnancy. He reaches out and rubs his hand softly over the swell of her stomach, touching every inch with a feather light touch. He props himself up and leaning over he kisses her stomach before maneuvering her onto her side with nothing more than gentle physical instruction so that her back is against his chest. He slides on arm under her neck, curling it to allow him to play with the red tainted platinum silken waves of her hair while his other arm helps their bodies to find their place. Once he's inside his arm curls protectively, lovingly, around her belly as movement begins. He kisses her neck, whispering to her, "I love you Jude Harrison, with everything that I am, could be, and will be." He continues on, whispering and telling her just how absolutely beautiful she is, has always been, and always will be to him. This is the beginning of something they haven't done since that day in the rehearsal space almost nine months ago, and unlike that time, they continue until long after the sun comes up and their alarm goes off with _White Lines_ playing on the radio telling them their day is to begin.


	22. Chapter Twenty One

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Thanks as always to my loyal readers/reviewers! This is sort of a filler chapter to prepare you for an incredibly long chapter to follow that will be unexpected to say the least!  
**

**Chapter Twenty One**

Two weeks before she's due to deliver Darius calls everyone into the conference room. The group looks at Darius knowing full well by his expression that he's up to something. A smile forms on his lips as his booming voice breaks the silence of the room, "I know you are all wondering why I've called everyone in here. Here's the deal; I know this is last minute but tomorrow night I am throwing a huge party at the same hotel we used for Jude's eighteenth birthday. This party is for several reasons, it is a baby shower for our pregnant star, it is also a release party for T's debut solo album finally ready, as well as celebrating the fact Jude's newest album has gone triple platinum! So I need everyone on board, I need my brilliant PR woman Sadie to take care of the finer details. I promise I covered most of it already, you mostly need to handle wardrobe for those performing, making sure everyone lets you know what they will be performing, and deciding the order is also up to you. As for who is performing, I want all of you taking a turn on stage. Karma, Tommy, Mason, Jude, and Speid; Speid I want you performing solo material as well as something with your wife and backing both Jude and Tommy during their performances. Tommy and Jude I want you two performing separate as well as together. Karma and Jude I'd like it if you two could pull off one song together, even if you have to cover a duet. I just think our two female artists on stage together will do wonders for your publicity and for your fans. You two seem to be getting along a lot better lately anyway. So that's all, so go get to work!"

As soon as the group reaches the lobby Sadie addresses them, "All right in two hours I am going to start pulling you one at a time for wardrobe decisions and fittings at which time I'd like you to know what you plan to perform. Everyone should be doing a minimum of three songs, including any duets. Just because Darius didn't specify any further pairings doesn't mean you guys can't collaborate and decide on more so long as we don't tire anyone out, especially Speid since you're performing with SME, your wife, and of course your own work. Okay, Mason I'll be starting with you, so," She looks ate her watch before looking back at him, "It's ten now, I'll pull you at noon, everyone else expect the next person to be pulled an hour after that and so on." Sadie shoos everyone off to work while she heads to wardrobe to start getting ideas for each of the artists.

An hour in, when Mason has finished making his list the group all begin to horse around in the booth, including the very pregnant Jude. As this starts up Tommy retreats to the sound board to start going through options and still observe the activity, just from a safe distance. He's barely sat down when Kwest walks in taking a seat in his usual chair though straddling it backwards as he looks at his best friend. Tommy turns his chair to face him, lounging in it with an arm resting on the edge of the sound table. "Okay you look like you have something on your mind man, what's up?"

"I'm doing something wrong T, but I can't figure out what. I need your help." Kwest says, almost in one breath.

"Kwest man slow down. Here's what I've picked up. You're too passive; you don't take control of anything. Think of it this way, princesses like to be pampered yes but they also need someone taking charge, challenging them. She needs the Kwest you were when we first started working here, opinionated. Like me but a little tamer, it's how you used to be. Things didn't work between Sadie and I not because of my personality or quirks but because I was deeply in love with her sister, you know that. So unless you go falling in love with Jude you're pretty safe."

"How do you know that'll work?"

"Women talk and those two never seem to pay attention to my presence when they get into one of those moods. Just remember to have fun man; just make sure it's only with her. "

"Thanks man." Kwest nods his head towards the booth where Jude is standing in the middle staring directly at Tommy with her hands on her hips. With her being so very pregnant it was quite possibly the funniest thing he'd ever seen, but he's smart enough not to voice it. "I think your girl wants you."

"It is damn good to hear that again man, and not have to deny it. I'll talk to you later." They shake hands in their private odd little fashion as Kwest walks out of the studio and Tommy walks into the recording booth with everyone else. He wraps his arms around Jude's waist pulling her to him and giving her a quick kiss before asking, "How's it going in here Girl?"

"Great. I think we've all got our songs figured out, so the only one left is you and what we'll perform together, which I'm hoping for one of our new ones?" Jude's lower lip juts out in a pout as she bats her long silken lashes at him, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck.

"As you wish." He chuckles slightly kissing her pouting lip before his words register for her and she gasps slapping his chest playfully. He can't help loving how she gets when he pulls that line. "Do you have an idea which one you want to do?"

"Yes, but we'll discuss that at home. I'll convince Sadie to let us leave that part open for now."

--

Over four hours later Sadie walks into studio A, with only two performers left to dress. "Jude, Karma will you two come with me."

"I thought you were pulling us all one by one except for SME?" Jude questions her older sister, her brow raised in mild confusion.

"Then I changed my mind, I want you girls to come with me now, flirt with your men on your time." Sadie says as she walks out heading back to wardrobe, glad she's down to the girls and then it's home.

"We have arrived!" Jude and Karma say in unison as they enter wardrobe with their arms linked, and the biggest grins. They'd planned the best duet, or at least they think it will be the best. They hadn't expected to pull off writing it so fast but they got on a roll and finished it in record time so to speak.

"Wow, you two have really bonded, and exactly when did hell freeze over?" Sadie crosses her arms arching a brow remembering when these two could hardly keep from killing each other.

"Well, she married my best friend and it seems to have mellowed her out a little so she's not so bad. We found common ground and now have written a kick ass song together that will be perfect for the show case! We just need the hottest outfits that girls would wear if they were fighting over the same thing." Jude declares as they disconnect their linked arms and Karma immediately goes to the clothing racks to look around.

"Oh, speaking of, here's my list. My songs and my duet with Jude, Speidy said he gave you our duet, right?" Karma says as she glances over her shoulder at Sadie, her dark curls shifting behind her.

"Yes I've got that on his list, so Karma musically you're set. See if you can find something you like for your solo numbers, your duet with Speid, and your duet with Jude." Sadie turns to Jude then holding her hand out. "I need your list too baby sister. Tommy said you'd be the one making the decision for your duet with him, and you'd have your duet with Speid."

"Um okay, but Sadie I have everything on here but the one for Tommy and I. Can I give it to you at home? We've got a little more discussing to do but I think I've got it planned out I just want to clear it with him first, privately." Jude asks her sister, her lower lip sucked between her teeth nervously.

"Yeah okay, but don't you dare forget. I have to submit this to Darius first thing tomorrow. Now let's figure out what you two will be wearing, we need stylish bit quick too because you won't have a whole lot of time to change each time, hair and make up will be sort of universal but will have minor changes. So let's get to work!"


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N Songs used and/or mentioned: The Boy is Mine; Brandy ft Monica, Show Me Love; Robyn, Sittin' Up In My Room; Brandy, Love Story; Mariah Carey, Secret Smile; Rascal Flatts, When I Said I Do; Clint Black & Lisa Black, What You Need; Tyler Kyte, I am Your Angel; Celine Dion & R. Kelly, Anyone But You; Tyler Kyte & Alexz Johnson, Who Am I Foolin'; Alexz Johnson, The Little Girl; John Michael Montgomery, Over and Over; Nelly ft Tim McGraw, Love Song; The Cure, Picture; Kid Rock ft Sheryl Crow, God Bless the Broken Road; Rascal Flatts, Don't Go Breaking My Heart; verion used in Ella Enchanted, My Best Friend; Tim McGraw, Cry; Mandy Moore, Only Hope; Switch Foot (for the male parts) & Mandy Moore's cover (for the girl parts).**

**A/N Further notes at the end of this chapter.**

**Chapter Twenty Two**

"We are so glad all of you could make it out here tonight! This is a very special night for the G-Major family, and a very big night of celebration! The first being Tommy's album release. Our biggest cause for celebration is our very first Instant Star; Jude Harrison! She's given this company many reasons to celebrate as well as cause for damage control during her contract. Tonight she gives us to very big reasons to celebrate! Her album has exceeded all of her previous ones by going triple platinum! Lastly, though most importantly this party is to celebrate her baby who is due almost any time now! I have yet to talk either her or T out of telling any of us the name of their baby girl so we'll all have to wait and see! Without further adieu I give you my triple platinum artist Jude Harrison and our third Instant Star, Karma!" Darius claps as he steps away from the mic and back into the wings.

The lights dim slightly, colored lights snapping on as Jude and Karma take the stage, Jude coming from the right and Karma from the left. Karma is wearing a dark blue silk dress that hangs down to her knees with a twelve inch slit on either side, a plunging neckline, black stilettos, and all of her usual flashy jewelry with her hair pulled up into a pony tail falling behind her in a mass of dark curls, and a gold head band just for decoration.

Jude is wearing a lavender baby doll style silk dress that goes half way down her thighs, a pair of black slacks from there and black heeled boots, her hair is curled and pushed back slightly by three inch thing lavender silk scarf, a few strands of red kissed blond hanging in front of it to frame her face while the ends of the scarf hang loosely on her right side. Her only jewelry is a pair of silver earrings, four thin dangling chains of various lengths with a star at the end of each, the stud they are suspended from is also a star; and of course her star ring.

Both girls wave at the audience as they walk towards center stage, it's not until they reach center stage the show really begins and the attitude on each girl plays its part. Though it begins with a little bit of talk as they cover an old song…

(**Karma**/_Jude_)

_Excuse me, can I please talk to you for a minute_**  
Uh huh, sure, you know you look kinda familiar**_  
Yeah, you do too but, hmm  
I just wanted to know do you know  
Somebody named you  
You know his name_**  
Oh, yeah definitely, I know his name**_  
I just wanted to let you know, he's mine_**  
Uh, no, no he's mine**

_**You need to give it up.  
Had about enough  
It's not hard to see, the boy is mine.  
I'm sorry that you  
Seem to be confused  
He belongs to me  
The boy is mine**_

The minute the chorus ends Karma's voice fades and Jude's takes over, when she begins her verse she steps towards Karma with the same territorial attitude they both showed in the beginning of their very complicated relationship. The expressions written all over her delicate features is the same one she has worn every time she's fought for her place beside Tommy.

_I think it's time we got this straight  
let's sit and talk face to face  
There is no way you could mistake  
him for your man - are you insane?_

The minute it's her turn to take over Karma is in Jude's face right back as they continue to battle it out onstage throughout the remainder of the song, both loving the energy in their performance and remembering the rivalry there used to be between them, especially where Speid was concerned.

**See I know that you may be  
just a bit jealous of me.  
But you're blind  
If you can't see  
That his love is all in me**

_You see I try to hesitate  
I didn't want to say what he told me  
He said without me he couldn't make  
it through the day, ain't that a shame._

**Maybe you're misunderstood  
Cause I can't see how he could  
Wanna change something that's so good  
Because my love was all it took.**

_**You need to give it up.  
Had about enough.  
It's not hard to see, the boy is mine.  
I'm sorry that you  
Seem to be confused  
He belongs to me  
The boy is mine**_

**Must you do the things you do  
keep on acting like a fool  
You need to know it's me not you  
And if you didn't know it girl, it's true.**

_I think that you should realize  
I'm trying to understand why  
He is a part of my life  
I know it's killing you inside._

**You can say what you want to say  
What we have you can't take  
From the truth you can't escape  
I can tell the real from the fake.**

_When will you get the picture  
Your the past I'm the future  
Get away it's my time to shine  
if you didn't know the boy is mine._

_**You need to give it up.  
Had about enough.  
It's not hard to see, the boy is mine.  
I'm sorry that you  
Seem to be confused  
He belongs to me  
The boy is mine**_

**You can't destroy this love I've found  
Your silly games I won't allow  
the boy is mine without a doubt  
You might as well throw in the towel.**

_What makes you think that he wants you  
when I'm the one that brought him to  
special places in my heart  
Cause he was my love from the start_

_**You need to give it up.  
Had about enough.  
It's not hard to see, the boy is mine.  
I'm sorry that you  
Seem to be confused  
He belongs to me  
The boy is mine**_

**Not yours!**  
_But mine!_  
**Not yours!**  
_But mine!_**  
Not yours!**  
_But mine!_

As the song ends Jude hugs Karma and waves to the crowd, "Give it up for Karma everyone! I'll see you again later." As she heads backstage she whispers to Karma as she walks passed her, "Break a leg."

"How is everyone tonight?!" She grins as the crowd cheers for her and nods towards SME to start; as they do she gets into the rhythm starting her first song; **Show Me Love**

_Yeah, yeah, yeah...  
Always been told that I've got too much pride  
Too independent to have you by my side  
But my heart said all of you will see  
Just won't live for someone until he lives for me  
Never thought I would find love so sweet  
Never thought I would meet someone like you  
Well now I've found you and I'll tell you no lie  
This love I've got for you  
Could take me 'round the world…_

As her first song ends she moves right into her second song; **Sittin' Up in My Room,** without even breaking stride. SME has learned to anticipate her almost as well as they do Jude when they perform together.

_Be sittin up in my room  
Back here thinking 'bout you  
I must confess I'm a mess for you  
Be sittin up in my room  
Back here thinking 'bout you  
I'm just a mess with a plan for you_

She draws out the final note before beginning her final song.

_Ay bay it won't end, won't end, won't end_

_Let's talk about love  
This is my love story_

_Boy meets girl and looks in her eyes  
Time stands still and two hearts catch fire  
Off they go rollercoaster ride  
Up & down and around...  
Twisted all out they minds  
And then his friends  
Said "its too soon to settle down"  
And then her friends  
Said "he's a playa, slow it down"  
They couldn't be who they was  
Cause it just seemed like love  
Wasn't on they side  
But this isn't ..._

_Just another love story  
Together we'll make history  
I know because it's just too real  
They'll be no end to our love story  
And this ain't gon end up  
Like that Casablanca movie...no  
This ain't no fairy tale or fiction  
This is truly  
Ours for the eternity  
They'll be no end to our love story  
Baby..._

_Chapter two...  
When they meet up again  
Second time around  
See but they're just friends  
But the feelings still strong  
And it's been too long  
To be trippin' like they ain't been missing  
They on the phone like  
Ay bay, bay  
Let's meet up today  
Gots bout an hour or two  
You might as well come thru_

_We can make it like it was  
Just the two of us  
Back up on that rollercoaster  
Like we been supposed to  
Cause this isn't_

_Just another love story  
Together we'll make history  
I know because it's destiny  
They'll be no end to our love story  
And this ain't gon end up  
Like that Casablanca movie...no  
This ain't no fairy tale or fiction  
This is truly  
Ours for the eternity  
They'll be no end to our love story  
Baby..._

_Just when it seemed  
Like all the odds  
Were stacked against them  
They came back stronger then before  
Matter fact then some  
Stronger then pride  
Lookin' like them  
Lookin' like her, lookin' like him  
Stronger then hate  
And the whole world too  
Lookin' like me  
Lookin' like you_

_'Cause this isn't just another love story  
Together we'll make history  
I know because it's destiny  
They'll be no end to our love story  
And this ain't gon end up  
Like that Casablanca movie...no  
This ain't no fairy tale or fiction  
This is truly  
Ours for the eternity  
They'll be no end to our love story  
Baby...  
Ay bay, bay it won't end, won't end, won't end_

As her voice starts to fade she turns to Speid, her fingers curl into the front of his shirt as she pulls him towards her into a passionate kiss, the perfect way to end her song before addressing the audience. "You've been great! Now while I run off to wardrobe my husband is going to take center stage, so give it up for my Speidy!" She claps with the mic in hand before handing it to him as she walks off stage.

Speid laughs, "My wife Karma, she is one of a kind isn't she? This goes out to her." He's immediately immersed in the music as it begins, waiting for his cue before jumping in.

_Whoa! Hey, hey –  
Oh, what a ride  
What a perfect sky to frame  
your hazel eyes  
I'd scream on the inside  
But right now it feels like I've  
been tranquilized  
Oh, what a fool am I  
To be tongue-tied  
Sitting next to her  
The princess and the passenger  
You touch the rain and suddenly  
there's waterfalls  
Now every day is something more  
worth fighting for_

_Baby, you make the sun shine down  
You make the sun shine down  
You can paint the darkest clouds  
And turn them into rainbows  
You take your secret smile  
The one that turns me on  
Hey girl, you've been what I've waited for  
_

_Feet back on the pavement to the  
basement  
On the bright side of the road  
Fumbling my lines to a lazy cat  
On the step outside her door  
She opens up  
And I'm in the Polaroid  
Standing next to her  
The princess and the passenger  
Touching the rain and suddenly  
there's waterfalls  
Now every day is something more  
worth living for  
_

_Baby, you make the sun shine down  
You make the sun shine down  
You can paint the darkest clouds  
And turn them into rainbows  
You take your secret smile  
The one that turns me on  
Hey girl, you've been what I've waited for_

_  
On a day like this when the world  
is elevated  
On a day like this when I know just  
why I waited  
On a day like this when the world  
is elevated  
On a day like this when I know just  
why I waited_

_Baby, you make the sun shine down  
You make the sun shine down  
You can paint the darkest clouds  
And turn them into rainbows  
You take your secret smile  
The one that turns me on  
Hey girl, you've been what I've waited for_

He takes a deep breath as he waits for the music to begin as his wife steps back out onto the stage in a beautiful dress of burgundy silk that goes only to her knees in the front but her ankles in the back with spaghetti straps and a heart shaped neckline.

The move about the stage as they sing **When I Said I Do** her stilettos tapping on the stage floor as they dance together until the near the end of the song, then they slow things down, hand in hand they finish out the song looking at one another and singing to each other as though they are the only two in the room.

(**Speid**/_Karma_)

_**When I said I do, I meant that I will 'til the end of all time  
Be faithful and true, devoted to you  
That's what I had in mind when I said I do**_

**Truer than true**, _**you know that I'll always be there for you**_  
**That's what I had in mind**, _that's what I had in mind_,  
_**When I said I do**_

As the song ends, once more on a kiss Karma waves to the audience before running backstage for yet another wardrobe change as Speid and the rest of SME perform **What You Need** his first single off his solo album.

While Speid's performing Karma's frantic backstage with Jude and Sadie trying to get out of one dress and into the next outfit. She stops and stares at Jude the moment they're done with her outfit, staring at her reflection in the mirror even as Sadie does her makeup, right up until Jude practically screams, "What?!"

Karma laughs and smiles doing her best not to move while Sadie works knowing she'll pay for it if she does. "Do you think Speidy and I will ever have a baby like you and Tommy?" In her voice was that innocent almost childish quality, something that was rarely done in a sincere fashion but this happened to be one of those times.

Jude leans against the vanity facing Karma but on the opposite side of her from Sadie. "Yeah you will, though preferably when you're ready and Speid's had a little more time to finish growing up. I mean don't get me wrong since marrying you he's matured a lot. But he has a ways to go before he's really going to be ready to be a father. Besides as much as you like fame and the spotlight, the last thing you want to do is have a baby any time soon. Enjoy being young and married. I love Tommy, but this really happened backwards for us by accident. I wish I had been happily married like you and Speid are before I got pregnant. But things happen for a reason, just like your marriage."

"Oh yes, I thought Speid was going to kill me when I had to tell him that Pagan had failed to tell me he was ordained and that we were legal. I'm glad we decided to stay married though."

"Just take good care of my Bart okay?"

"I will."

"All right Karma, you're done and up, he's almost through with his song so you need to get back out there!" Sadie announces as she finishes Karma's hair and makeup during the girls' conversation.

Karma stands from her chair in one fluid movement and heads back out to the stage, though remaining in the wings as she watches her husband finish up his song.

_When all I need is a day inside  
Inside your mind to see what it's like  
And all I'm missing in you I see  
Am I who you want? Am I what you need?  
Am I who you want? Am I what you need?  
_

Karma walks onto the stage towards her husband carrying her mic with her as her heels click with every step. This time she's coming towards him in an ivory colored dress where one side of the skirt goes down to her calf while the other side stops mid-thigh, with a peasant style bodice. Her hair is pulled back with diamond clips and her dark locks curled in ringlets that dance behind her. She smiles at her husband as she reaches him when the last word fades from his lips. "You're all I need Speidy. I love you."

Speid slides one arm around his wife, his pants are a navy blue and his shirt is loose and the same color as her dress, on his head he wears a driver cap of the same navy blue. He kisses her quickly before he releases her and the music for their final duet begins. Karma and Speid's voices blend together beautiful in the smooth R&B style song.

(**Karma**/_Speid_)

**No mountains too high for you to climb  
All you have to do, is have some climbing faith  
No river is too wide for you to make it across  
All you have to do, is believe it when you pray**

_And then you will see the morning will come,  
And everyday will be bright as the sun  
All of your fears cast them on me  
I just want you to see_

_**I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I hear your voices when you call me  
I am your Angel,  
And when all hope is gone I'm here  
No matter how far you are, I'm near  
It makes no difference who you are  
I am your Angel, I'm your Angel**_

_I saw your tear drops and I heard you cry  
All you need is time, seek me and you shall find  
You have everything and you're still lonely  
It don't have to be this way  
Let me show you a better day_

**Then you will see, the morning will come  
And all of your days will be bright as the sun  
So all of your fears just cast them on me  
How can I make you see?**

_**I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I hear your voices when you call me  
I am your Angel,  
And when all hope is gone I'm here  
No matter how far you are, I'm near  
It makes no difference who you are  
I am your Angel, I'm your Angel**_

_And when it's time to face the storm_**  
I'll be right by your side**_  
Grace will keep us safe and warm  
and I know we will survive_**  
And when it seems as if your end is drawing near  
Don't you dare give up the fight  
Just put your trust beyond the sky**

_**I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I hear your voices when you call me  
I am your Angel,  
And when all hope is gone I'm here  
No matter how far you are, I'm near  
It makes no difference who you are  
I am your Angel, I'm your Angel**_

Speid kisses his wife as the song ends and just as Jude walks into the stage towards them in a loose fitting peasant emerald green top that almost hides her pregnant belly and a pair of dark wash jeans. She claps before speaking, her voice causing the couple to pull apart. "Give it up for Mr. and Mrs. Speiderman! Aren't they beautiful together? Karma, would you mind if I borrowed your husband for a moment? I promise to return him in the same condition!"

"Of course Jude, remember to play nice you two!" Karma blows a kiss to her husband dramatically before air kissing both of Jude's cheeks before walking off stage just as the music begins for **Anyone But You**.

As they begin the last verse Mason starts walking on stage from the right wing in a pair of tight faded jeans, a tan plaid button down shirt and of course his cowboy hat and boots.

_**Ah, ah, ah  
With anyone but you  
It's such a long way..  
With anyone but you  
I couldn't follow...  
With anyone but you  
Never anyone but  
Never anyone but  
With anyone but you  
It's such a long way..  
With anyone but you  
And I couldn't follow...  
With anyone but you  
Never anyone but you**_

Mason claps as he reaches them right as the music fades. "These two are just explosive together aren't they?!" He asks the audience with enthusiasm before shaking hands with Speid who exits to the left to his wife as Mason dramatically kisses Jude's cheek. "How is our pregnant rock star? Are you tired yet?"

"I am exhausted but ready to keep on going! I love performing for our fans, and can you feel the energy tonight? It's electric!" Jude says as she half faces Mason while still half facing the crowd.

"It is, so are you ready for our number Jude?"

"Always, remember how much fun we had recording this in the studio?"

"Who could forget?! I thought Quincy was going to kill us!"

"So did I!" They laugh as SME starts the music and the pair dive right into, **Who Am I Foolin'**.

While Jude and Mason light up the stage with their performance Tommy is back stage preparing for his first song, which of course was written with Jude in mind before they'd gone back to his home town. He's oblivious to Sadie talking to him as she preens him until she smacks the back of his head. He glares at her reflection in the mirror, "What?!"

"I asked you when you're going to ask my baby sister to marry you!" Sadie repeats as she rolls her eyes, it was like talking to a brick wall sometimes with the both of them when they get lost in their thoughts, which is often.

"I… um…" He hadn't expected Sadie to be the one to ask him about that, Kwest sure, but not the big sister.

"Have you even thought about it?" This is one of the things she loves about being the older sister, interrogation!

"Yes, a lot, since she left me sitting in a jail cell in New Brunswick. I just never expected you to ask me about that. I've had the ring for a while though; I've just been waiting for the right time. You know that moment where you just _know_ it's time."

"Well I personally hope it's soon. The idea of my baby sister getting married before me is weird, but she's already having a baby first she should have the whole thing. Despite everything you two have been through since she first won that contest I think she's loved you, just took her a while to realize it and then your rocky road to the here and now began. Just take good care of my baby sister okay? Also you are not allowed to elope, even if it's her idea I will hunt you down, then I will have Kwest, Speid, Kyle, Wally, Jamie, and Mason hold you down while I make sure you pay for such a stupid move, okay?"

He looks at Sadie a moment like she's grown two heads or she's plastered. He nods slowly before finding his voice, having for a while there forgotten she could get this demanding and protective of Jude considering all the fights he's witnessed between the girls. "We won't elope; I want her/us to have the perfect wedding Sadie, that's why the proposal has to be perfect."

"All right, well you're up so go give your fans what they want Tommy Q!" She laughs as she shoves him out of the door and towards the stage. Mason is just finishing his second song, **The** **Little Girl**, when Tommy reaches his spot beside Jude who was due to be tormented again by Sadie as soon as he took the stage. He wraps an arm around her and kisses her temple as they listen to the last verse of Mason's song, out of the corner of his eyes he can see the tears trailing down Jude's cheek.

_She said I know that man up there on that cross  
I don't know His name  
But I know He got off  
Cause He was there in my old house  
and held me close to His side  
As I hid there behind our couch  
The night that my parents died_

As the last bars of the song begin to fade Tommy pulls Jude to him and captures her lips with his own kissing her deeply before releasing her and joining Mason on stage.

(_Mason_/**Tommy**)

_Cause its all in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**And I can't keep** _**picturing you with him**_  
_And it hurts so bad_, **yeah**  
_Cause it's on in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**I replay it** _over and over again_  
_And I can't take it yeah I can't shake it_  
**Nooo**

**I can't wait to see you  
Want to see if you still got that look in your eyes  
That one you had for me before we said our goodbyes  
And it's a shame that we got to spend our time  
Being mad about the same things**  
_Over and over again_  
**About the same things**  
_Over and over again_  
**Ohh  
But I think she's leaving  
Ooh man she's leaving**  
**I don't know what else to do**  
(_I Can't go on not loving you_)

_Cause its all in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**And I can't keep** _**picturing you with him**_  
_And it hurts so bad_, **yeah**  
_Cause it's on in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**I replay it** _over and over again_  
_And I can't take it yeah I can't shake it_  
**Nooo**

**I remember the day you left  
I remember the last breath you took right in front of me  
When you said that u would leave  
I was too damn stubborn to try to stop you or say anything  
But I see clearly now  
and this chose I made keep playing in my head**  
_Over and over again_  
**Playing my head**  
_Over and over again_  
**Ohh  
I think she's leaving  
Ooh man she's leaving  
I don't know what else to do**  
_(I Can't go on not loving you_)

_Cause its all in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**And I can't keep** _**picturing you with him**_  
_And it hurts so bad_, **yeah**  
_Cause it's on in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**I replay it** _over and over again_  
_And I can't take it yeah I can't shake it_  
**Nooo**

**Now that I've realized that I'm going down  
From all this pain you've put me thought  
**_Every time I close my eyes I like it ?  
I can't go on not loving you_

_Cause its all in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**And I can't keep** _**picturing you with him**_  
_And it hurts so bad_, **yeah**  
_Cause it's on in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**I replay it** _over and over again_  
_And I can't take it yeah I can't shake it_  
**Nooo**

_Cause its all in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**And I can't keep** _**picturing you with him**_  
_And it hurts so bad_, **yeah**  
_Cause it's on in my head_  
**I think about it** _over and over again_  
**I replay it** _over and over again_  
_And I can't take it yeah I can't shake it_  
**Nooo**

_Over and Over again  
Over and Over again  
Cause it's all in my head_

"Let's give it up for Mason Fox ladies and gentlemen!" Tommy claps as he smiles to Mason and the crowd. "That last one was **Over and Over** something Mason and I actually wrote together, shocking isn't it?" He jokes considering most still thought Tommy hated Mason along with the rest of Jude's friends but he was making headway with them and is continuing to.

"Actually much to everyone's surprise, especially Jude's, Tommy and I have managed to actually become friends and not just co-exist for the sake of a girl. But we'll not bore you with the details; I now proudly give up the stage to Tom Quincy! Good night everyone!" Mason waves then tips his hat towards the audience before heading backstage to Jude's dressing room to harass his best friend while Sadie torments her with the primping, as Tommy begins his first solo song of the evening.

_Whenever I'm alone with you  
you make me feel like I am home again  
whenever I'm alone with you  
you make me feel like I am whole again…_

Mason hops up onto the counter top beside Jude as Sadie is finishing up her current look for her first duet of the evening with Tommy. "You look stunning Harrison. It's still so surreal knowing you're pregnant with Tommy Q's baby though. Oh! And you never did tell me how it is you two got back together."

She waits until Sadie is finished painting her full lips a soft rose color before answering, "I was starting to warm up to the idea before we left for New Brunswick this time, but, well I told you about the accident right? As soon as I saw him I just felt everything around me, inside me, shattering with the possibility he might not wake up. So when he did, I knew I couldn't let fear keep us apart any more so I scared the crap out of him."

"How did you do that?" Sadie and Mason ask in unison.

"One of the first things he asked me was if I'd sneak him out of the hospital, I told him I wouldn't since it would give us the perfect opportunity to talk without him having a chance to run."

"Ah, the whole 'we need to talk' deal, yeah that always puts fear into men." Sadie nods laughing as she finishes Jude's hair. "You are up baby sister."

Jude hugs her sister before walking up in the left wing of the stage watching Tommy as he finishes his song.

_However far away  
I will always love you  
however long I stay  
I will always love you  
whatever words I say  
I will always love you  
I will always love you_

As the last words fade from his lips and his deep blue gaze rests on her more than the audience, she emerges from the left wing of the stage in an ankle length skirt of black velvet and a rose colored peasant top with scarlet velvet trim and her hair pinned up with a few curls hanging loose around her face; the red roots continuing to grow and be a beautiful contrast to the fading platinum. Her full rose colored lips part as she reaches Tommy's side, smiling even as she speaks. "I'll always love you too Tommy Q." She turns towards the audience now, "Beautiful isn't he girls? Coming out of retirement was one of your smartest moves."

"Next to being with you Girl, are you ready to give this audience a treat?" Tommy responds in that beautiful charming manner of his that makes girls melt.

"Always."

(**Tommy**/_Jude_)

**Living my life in a slow hell  
Different girl every night at the hotel  
I ain't seen the sun shine in three damn days  
Been fuelin' up on cocaine and whiskey  
Wish I had a good girl to miss me  
Lord I wonder if I'll ever change my ways  
I put your picture away  
Sat down and cried today  
I can't look at you  
While I'm lying next to her  
I put your picture away  
Sat down and cried today  
I can't look at you while I'm lying next to her**

**oooooooooooo**

_I called you last night in the hotel  
Everyone knows but they won't tell  
But their half-hearted smiles tell me something just ain't right  
I've been waitin on you for a long time  
Fueling up on heartaches and cheap wine  
I ain't heard from you in three damn nights  
I put your picture away  
I wonder where you've been  
I can't look at you while I'm lying next to him_

_oooooooooo_

_I put your picture away  
I wonder where you've been  
I can't look at you while I'm lying next to him_

_oooooooooo_

_I saw you yesterday with an old friend_**  
It was the same old same how have you been**_**  
Since you've been gone my world's been dark and grey**_**  
You reminded me of brighter days**_  
I hoped you were coming home to stay  
I was headed to church_**  
I was off to drink you away**

_**I thought about you for a long time  
Can't seem to get you off my mind  
I can't understand why we're living life this way  
I found your picture today  
I swear I'll change my ways  
I just called to say I want you to come back home**_

_**ooooooooo**_

_**I found your picture today  
I swear I'll change my ways  
I just called to say I want you  
To come back home  
I just called to say I love you  
Come back home**_

As the last chords of the song fade they get into a little more adorable banter before she runs off backstage again to change, leaving him to sing **God Bless the Broken Road** before her return and their duet of **Don't Go Breaking My Heart**. But this time when the song is over she doesn't truly leave, her current outfit of a simple empire waistline dress with peasant sleeves that goes to the ground of simple baby blue cotton with tiny white stars embroidered into the top. Her hair is left down for the most part except for a section on either side of her head which is braided and pulled behind her, secured together with a small hair band, a few wisps of pure copper red fall across her forehead giving her an almost princess look. She stands just slightly to the left of Tommy.

Before Tommy begins the song he looks towards Jude and his audience, "I've asked Jude to stay for this one is because even though I write most of my songs for her or about her, this one is different, this one expresses a lot of the things I want to say and can't seem to find the right way to do it or the right time. So tonight I decided I would sing them and tell my Girl and the world just what she means to me."

_I never had no one  
I could count on  
I've been let down so many times  
I was tired of hurtin'  
So tired of searchin'  
'Til you walked into my life  
It was a feelin'  
I'd never known  
And for the first time  
I didn't feel alone_

_You're more than a lover  
There could never be another  
To make me feel the way you do  
Oh we just get closer  
I fall in love all over  
Every time I look at you  
I don't know where I'd be  
Without you here with me  
Life with you makes perfect sense  
You're my best friend  
You're my best friend, oh yeah_

_You stand by me  
And you believe in me  
Like nobody ever has  
When my world goes crazy  
You're right there to save me  
You make me see how much I have  
And I still tremble  
When we touch  
And oh the look in your eyes  
When we make love_

_You're more than a lover  
There could never be another  
To make me feel the way you do  
Oh we just get closer  
I fall in love all over  
Every time I look at you  
And I don't know where I'd be  
Without you here with me  
Life with you makes perfect sense  
You're my best friend  
You're my best friend_

_You're more than a lover  
There could never be another  
To make me feel the way you do  
Oh we just get closer  
I fall in love all over  
Every time I look at you  
And I don't know where I'd be  
Without you here with me  
Life with you makes perfect sense  
You're my best friend  
You're my best friend (my best friend)  
You're my best friend (my best friend)_

During the last two lines of the song Speid echoes Tommy softly from behind. When the song ends he walks towards Jude pulling her against him and kissing her softly, briefly, before speaking into the mic but really more to her. "You have always been my best friend Girl."

It takes all of her effort not to cry right now, in this moment, he seems too perfect here and their audience begins to fade from her consciousness as she stares into those deep blue eyes she's gotten lost in so many times before. "I love you…" She kisses him softly again before taking his hand as she comes back to reality and leads him to the front of the stage again as they begin their next duet, though once again they seem to stare at each other more than their audience.

(**Tommy**/_Jude_)

**I'll always remember  
It was late afternoon  
It lasted forever  
And ended too soon  
You were all by yourself  
Staring up at a dark gray sky  
I was changed**

**In places no one would find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
It was then that I realized  
That forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry**

**The moment that I saw you cry**

_It was late in September  
And I've seen you before  
You were always the cold one  
But I was never that sure  
You were all by yourself  
Staring at a dark gray sky  
I was changed_

_In places no one would find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
It was then that I realized  
That forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry_

_I wanted to hold you_  
**I wanted to make it go away**  
_I wanted to know you_  
**I wanted to make your everything, all right...**

_I'll always remember..._  
**It was late afternoon...**  
_In places no one would find..._

_**In places no one would find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
It was then that I realized  
That forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry**_

The pair take a breath both getting a drink of water to prepare for their next and final number of the evening, yes this means Jude has not bothered to sing anything solo this evening. Instead she has worn herself out with duets with the entire bill. She closes her eyes with her back to the audience and no one but Speid is able to see her grimace with pain right before she turns to face the audience again. Given the fact she is so close to her due date Speid panics and sneaks up to Squinty whispering something into his ear but making it look as though they're discussing the final song.

"All right ladies and gentlemen, you have been a wonderful audience but this next song will be the end of our show this evening. We hope you have enjoyed yourselves and all of the artists who have performed." Darius' voice spills out of the speakers as he makes the little announcement, though even he is watching Jude with some concern. Having been around more than one pregnant woman he knows something isn't quite right with the expressions she keeps having, brief as they are.

(**Tommy**/_Jude_)

**There's a song that's inside of my soul  
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again  
I'm awake in the infinite cold  
But You sing to me over and over and over again**  
_  
So I lay my head back down  
And I lift my hands  
and pray to be only Yours  
I pray to be only Yours  
I know now you're my only hope_

**Sing to me the song of the stars  
Of Your galaxy dancing and laughing  
and laughing again  
When it feels like my dreams are so far  
Sing to me of the plans that You have for me over again**

_So I lay my head back down  
And I lift my hands and pray  
To be only yours  
I pray to be only yours  
I know now you're my only hope_

**I give You my destiny**  
_I'm giving You all of me_  
**I want Your symphony**  
_Singing in all that I am_  
**At the top of my lungs I'm giving it back**

As they begin their descent towards the end of the song her voice catches as the pain gets worse and grips her a moment longer than it has thus far. Her eyes widen when something new occurs and she's ever so grateful for the dress she's wearing and the dim lights of the stage that hide her wide ocean blue eyes.

_**So I lay my head back down  
And I lift my hands and pray  
To be only yours  
I pray to be only yours  
I pray to be only yours  
I know now you're my only hope**_

Tommy catches her expressions out of the corner of his eyes during their final verse, when the song ends he grabs her hand and they bow to the crowd offering their goodnights. It takes all of his effort to keep the pain out of his voice as she holds his hand in a vice like grip. He leads her off stage as quickly as possible as the lights go down almost completely to allow them a more private exit, Darius' idea of course.

As soon as they are back stage, her teeth grip her bottom lip almost to the point of drawing blood as she whimpers doubling over now as the pain gets worse. Without looking at anything or anyone other than the floor she mutters, "Get Sadie!"

As soon as she straightens Tommy pulls her towards him stroking her hair as he cradles her head against his chest, grateful she's allowing it now; while all of SME run off to find Sadie. "What happened out there Girl?" He whispers to her as he rests his chin on the top of her head.

"My water broke…" Is all she says, her words muffled into his chest.

His eyes widen instantly as he hears this, and without a moments hesitation he scoops her up into his arms bridal style and heads in the direction of SME and Sadie's voices. Everyone begins talking at once as they all nearly collide with each other. It's Jude's voice that finally shuts them all up. "Shut up! I'm the one having a baby here! Speid you and the guys go to Tommy's place and grab my bag from the front closet while Sadie calls the doctor and Tommy you get us to the hospital, like now!" Her voice is loud and almost shrill towards the end as the pain starts to grip her again. It's surprising that she is more level headed at the moment than her sister, though in Sadie's defense she had to spend two minutes dealing with a very frantic SME.

Everyone instantly follows her instructions, Tommy handing over the keys to the guys as Sadie pulls out her phone and announces to the doctor it's time and makes those arrangements all the while Tommy carries her out to the viper as quick as possible, for once in his life not concerned about his seats.

The whole way to the hospital they seemed to alternate who was telling who to calm down and breathe, though luckily for Tommy she wasn't screaming or cursing his name each time the pain hit and grew in intensity. The most she did was raising her voice further and whimper each time the contractions hit. The moment they reach the hospital though and she is in a wheelchair heading into Labor and Delivery she's begging the nurses for drugs.

The nurses calmly tell her she can't have drugs until she's settled in her gown and the bed and the doctor has examined her. Thankfully it doesn't take more than twenty minutes for all of it to happen, the doctor announcing she is already dilated to six centimeters. As the nurse inserts the IV into her hand she stares at Tommy whimpering as she grips his hand with her free one while Tommy brushes back those wisps of copper from her forehead muttering soothing words and lots of 'I love yous', distracting her from the needles. It's not long before she can feel the drugs coursing through her veins and lowering the intensity of the pain each time the contractions hit. For now, as they wait for her to dilate further Tommy talks to her and helps her to walk around the halls allowing gravity to help move things along. There's no way to tell just how long it will be before she dilates those final four centimeters and the real fun begins…

**A/N Phew! I know this was an extremly long chapter full of a lot of music, odd conversations, and even some drama in the end! This is actually my longest chapter ever written to date though I hope to have chapters close to this long in my next story with less music per chapter. I truly hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sadly we are truly nearing the end of this story, I do hope you have all enoyed this one and hope to see you all when I post my third story!  
**


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

A/N Don't own, don't sue

**A/N I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Some of the events I took from personal experience as far as the whole delivery bit goes minus the having a guy in the room and holding someone's hand. I gripped the bed rails so hard I thought I'd break them before I was through! lol**

**I feel I should warn my wonderful and faithful readers, this is the second to the last chapter for this story, but never fear my third story is already under way! Enjoy! I can hardly wait to see what you guys think!**

**Chapter Twenty Three**

It's been almost eight hours since they arrived at the hospital via a string of limos provided graciously by Darius. Everyone had been in to see Jude already and were thrown out the minute she reached nine centimeters. Speid, Kyle, and Wally are goofing around like usual despite the eye rolling coming from Karma and Sadie. Mason is pacing nervously and chewing on his nails as he watches the blue double doors. Even Darius is among the group anxiously awaiting news on the mother and child as he talks idly with Kwest.

Tommy comes running out of the double doors panting and out of breath bent at the waist with his hands resting above his knees. Once he's caught his breath he straightens and addresses the group gathered in front of him. "She's doing okay, they both are, she wanted me to come let you guys know before things get hectic in there, besides when the anesthesiologist arrives to give her the epidural she'll kill me if I'm not in there. The nurse says the fact they're finally bringing the guy in means the 'real fun' is about to begin." He rolls his eyes as he quotes her not seeing the humor in any of it. Sure he's anxious to meet their baby girl who they haven't even managed to name, but the pain his Girl is about to endure is not going to be pretty.

"You take good care of my baby sister Tom Quincy, and my niece." Sadie hugs him before the guys all take turn patting him on the back and ushering the same warning to take care of their Jude.

"I'll come out as soon as I have some news or I'll send someone." He nods as he heads back through the double doors. As soon as he's through them he's off and running for her room, so afraid he won't make it back in time.

"Oh thank god!" Jude exclaims in a pain filled voice as Tommy burst in through the door to her room.

"Has he been in here yet?" He asks out of breath as he reaches her side, brushing some hair from her forehead and kissing it softly.

"No, he'll be here any minute though."

"Well everyone is waiting out in the waiting room for you and our baby girl." He kisses her forehead again as the anesthesiologist walks in to the room. Tommy shakes his hand nodding before he rests his hip against the side of Jude's bed listening to the doctor explain what he's going to do to Jude, how, and what she needs to do.

"It is extremely important Miss Harrison that you do not move at all while I'm doing this, even if a contraction hits. I know it will be very difficult to do but it's a matter of your health and safety." He waits until both of them nod before continuing. "If you'll move to the side of your bed and to the edge Miss Harrison, and Mr. Quincy if you could stand in front of her, make sure she doesn't move."

Jude does as she's told, whimpering when she reaches the edge. She looks up at Tommy taking hold of his hands instantly when he offers them. She squeezes them as tightly as she can as she feels the needle slid into her skin along her spin towards the base. She whimpers but doesn't move an inch as her ocean blue eyes look up at Tommy filled with pain between the contractions she's been experiencing since they arrived that keep getting worse to the epidural currently being given to her. When the medication is injected she feels it coursing in like cold water through her spine.

As soon as the doctor is finished he nods and leaves the room as Tommy helps Jude back up into the bed properly just as another contraction hits causing her to whimper and squirm as she squeezes Tommy's hand. "Ugh… This hurts Tommy; I just want it to be over! Can't they just cut me open and get it over with?"

"I have no idea how much it hurts Girl but I know it hurts and I'm so sorry, but you know you don't want a C-section. You're strong; I know you can do this. Just keep squeezing my hand okay?"

Just as she nods in response to him her doctor walks into the room and takes a seat on a stool at the foot of her bed. She examines her before nodding to the nurse as she looks up at the couple. "All right, we're ready to start. Now Jude when your next contraction hits I want you to push hard for me okay? I need you to keep pushing for ten seconds then stop and when the next contraction hits you'll do it again. Ready?"

"No, but I'll do it anyway…" Jude whimpers as she tightens her grip on Tommy's hand, her head leaning into his touch as his free hand brushes back her hair. When the contraction hits she takes a deep breath and pushes as hard as she can, feeling her body shake with the effort and the air she's holding as the nurse counts down before letting her know she can relax. When she releases that breath and relaxes for a moment she glances up at Tommy and whimpers again.

"Good, now I know it's difficult but I need you to push harder this time Jude." She tells Jude after her second push…

--

Thirty minutes later and lots of whimpering the nurse hands Jude her baby, naked and still attached but beautiful and healthy too. The doctor looks to Tom and asks, "Would you like to cut the cord?"

Tommy's eyes widen at this question looking at the woman like she's lost her mind but he nods and cuts exactly where he's told to before looking back up at his girls. "You did it Girl, I love you so much." He kisses her forehead before very gently touching their daughter's cheek, so softly as though he's afraid he'll break her.

Their nurse carefully takes the baby from Jude as she promises, "I'll bring her right back just want to clean her up and get her dressed. Then if you would like I'll help you if you wish to try nursing."

Reluctantly Jude nods and lets the baby go. She watches as the nurse takes her into a room that adjoins her own with the door between them open, watching everything she does to the baby. She doesn't say anything at all however until the nurse brings the baby back to them. Jude cradles the baby against her chest staring down at her for the longest time before looking up at Tommy. "She's beautiful isn't she?"

He caresses the side of her face with the back of his hand as he smiles down at her. "Yes she is, just like her mother. What do you think we should name her?"

Jude looks down at their daughter as the nurse comes over and assists Jude in latching the baby on in a position comfortable for both of them, which is of course cradled against her. Her brow furrows as she tries to think of what would suit their baby best as she adjusts to the foreign feeling of this little being nursing from her. "Harmony Lyric Dutois," She all but whispers before she looks up at him for approval, seeing as most of their friends don't know his real last name.

"Harmony Lyric Dutois…" He whispers the name back before falling silent as he contemplates it, watching as a look of fear crosses her tired features before he smiles and kisses the top of her head. "It's perfect."

"I'm sorry for interrupting Miss Harrison but, are you ready for some visitors? I have a room full of people out there climbing the walls waiting to see you and your baby girl. In some cases I'm afraid it might become literal." The head maternity nurse, Martha, teases referring of course to SME.

She removes her now sleeping daughter from her breast and covers up, lifting the baby up towards Tommy for him to have his chance to hold her before they have a room full of people fighting for a turn. "Thank you Martha." She smiles at the women before looking up at Tommy again, "Why don't you take her out to meet the rest of her family? Then just bring everyone back here with you."

As Martha leaves he nods and leans down kissing her softly as he cradles their new born daughter against his chest as though she's made of glass. "All right, well we'll be right back then. I love you Girl."

"I love you too Tommy."

He blows her one last kiss before leaving her room, allowing her a few minutes of peace while he takes their daughter to meet everyone. "You've got a big family out here waiting to meet you baby girl. Some of them are a little crazy but they'll all look out for you and love you," He whispers down to her just before walking through the double doors leading to the waiting room causing everyone to turn around. He can't help smiling proudly as he reaches the group and announces, "Say hello to our baby girl, Harmony Lyric. She's six pounds and nine ounces. Jude wanted me to bring her out to meet all of you while she rested for a minute, then we can all go in and see her." Reluctantly he gives up his daughter first to Sadie who begs to hold her niece and as she makes the rounds to all the anxious loving hands ready to cradle this precious bundle he looks to Sadie and Darius once they have both had their turn, whispering to them as they step slightly away from the group.

Karma looks up at Speid pouting and batting her long dark lashes up at him as she holds Harmony. "Can we have a baby Speidy?"

Speid's eyes widen as he looks at his wife, "In a couple of years sure, but right now? Absolutely not Karma…"

"Why not?!"

"Karma right now we're still in the middle of our show, speaking of," He stops mid-sentence to nod in the direction of the cameras that still follow them everywhere. "I don't want to bring a baby into all this."

"Fine, but do you at least think they'll let us baby sit sometimes?"

"Of course, though we might be fighting the others for a turn…"

"I'm sure Jude can come up with a fair way to rotate turns." Reluctantly she hands the baby over to Jamie and Zeppelin.

"She's so tiny, and look at that red hair!" Jamie says surprised to see so much of the girl he grew up with in the baby he's now holding. "It's so weird to think of her as a mom, you know?"

"Does it make you think about having kids?" Zeppelin asks, silently hoping he takes a lesson from Speid in this case.

"Yes, someday but not right now. Right now it's going to be hard enough to get NBR off the ground. Besides I hope to be married before children enter into the picture."

"Oh, good," She smiles in that nervous shy way of hers before handing the tiny baby back to her father.

"Remember not to tire her out guys. She's had a long day and needs to rest but she'll kill us all of you guys leave without visiting her." Tommy says as he cradles his daughter to his chest protectively while leading the group to the delivery room. "Hey Girl, I brought some people to see you."

"Hi guys! Isn't she beautiful?" She reaches up and takes her from Tommy carefully as he sits down on the edge of her bed beside her.

"She is dude, just like her mom. I have to say you and Squinty make one beautiful baby." Speid says as he approaches, hugging his best friend carefully.

"Thanks Vin, I think." Tommy says with a chuckle.

It's nearly three hours later when the Martha and Tommy are politely ushering everyone out of the room for the night before prepping mother and baby to be moved into her room for the next couple of days.

Once she's settled into her new room with a slightly larger bed Tommy climbs up beside her pulling her against his chest as she holds their sleeping daughter. It's not long before all three of them are sound asleep in the hospital bed, pinned safely between the rails.

--

It was half past one in the morning when Tommy woke up and couldn't help staring at his beautiful girls. Jude's back is nestled against him as she cradles their new born daughter against her own chest. He brushes his fingers through her red/blond curls pulling them softly away from her face as he watches them sleep. He talks quietly to her but yet more to himself, trying not to wake their daughter, unsure if she sleeps as soundly as Jude. "I can't believe we're really here, after everything. Girl you have no idea how much I love you, I can't bear to think about not having you in my life ever… God please don't ever leave…" He tilts his head down kissing her temple before resting his cheek on hers lightly.

He pulls back suddenly when he feels her stirring only moments after he's silenced himself and rested his face against hers. She turns slightly making it easier to look up at him and smiles softly. "Hey, what time is it?"

"Almost two, I'm sorry Jude I didn't mean to wake you…"

She tilts her head further to capture his lips with her own in a soft brief kiss before smiling again and settling against him, shifting their daughter onto her chest so she can have a hand free to brush her fingertips along his cheek. "You didn't. You look like you've been deep in thought though Quincy. What's on your mind?"

"You," He turns his head slightly to kiss her fingers before smiling lightly that preoccupied worried smile he gets sometimes.

"Care to elaborate? You have serious face." She comments sitting up now, carefully and leaning over her side of the bed to gently place Harmony into the bed provided by the hospital with its plastic sides. She turns then to face him as he shifts into a seated position as well.

"Of course I have serious face Girl. We just had a baby, together. That's huge! I mean I know we've been preparing for this for months but, watching you today giving birth to her and watching you with her, holding her, nursing her; it's a lot more real. It's tangible now, you know?" He knows he's rambling and while part of it is out of nerves the other part is stalling as his eyes continue to cast a glance to the clock on the wall across the room. "The thing is this is serious now, it's not just you and me any more and I don't want to play games or keep dancing the same dance we've done since you were fifteen. I want new steps Girl, I want a new tune and I want something permanent. What I'm trying to say is…" He watches the worried expression on her features as he climbs out of bed and gets down on one knee beside it, his arms resting on the bed beside where she sits as he looks up at her and when the clock reads 1:58 am he continues on. "Jude I love you more than I ever thought I could possibly love one person, you are my everything Girl. You've taught me so much about being a friend, about loving someone, and you've made me a better person. You've helped me become the man I have always wanted to be and never thought I could be. What I'm trying to say is…" He pauses again watching and waiting until the clock reads 2am before finishing. "Girl, will you marry me?" He pulls a small velvet pouch from his pocket and carefully pulls a ring out of it holding it out to her. It's a simple platinum band with a somewhat large diamond in the center with two smaller ones on either side of it and tiny ones all along the rest of the band. Inside the band is an inscription reading: 'white lines'.

Her mouth falls open in shock listening to him talk to her this way and knowing he means every word. Tom Quincy isn't known for being this articulate or this romantic without some mischievous intent or without having done something wrong, but she knows neither are the case right now. She also knows this isn't just Tom Quincy in front of her but Tom Dutois too. She watches the fear creep into his features as she stays silent longer than she means to when his speech is finished and he's holding the ring out in front of her. She swallows closing her mouth and trying to find her voice, but it's still another minute before she manages to squeak out anything. "Yes…" She shakes her head softly trying to bring herself out of the shock as she gives him her hand for him to slip the ring where it belongs. She doesn't try again to speak until he has then she reaches out curling her hands on either side of his face and tugging him up and forward until she can capture his lips with her own in a deep kiss full of every ounce of passion she can muster, moaning slightly when she feels his hand slip into her hair and his fingers curl into the silken tresses and tug slightly as he draws her closer against him.

When they finally break, both panting and in need of air they rest their foreheads together and he whispers softly to her, his hand still lost in her hair. "You really mean it Girl?" His voice holds a bit of uncertainty and fears as his deep blue eyes search hers of ocean hues.

She rubs her hand gently along his cheeks before curling them along his jaw line on either side as she nods slightly, not wanting to separate their foreheads. "Yes. I really mean. I want to marry you more than anything Quincy."

He says nothing further, not wanting to break the spell he's afraid they're currently under as he climbs back up into the bed beside her lying down with her as she grabs their daughter and the three of them drift off back to sleep.


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

**A/N Songs used and/or mentioned: That's Where You Find Love; Westlife, Butterfly Kisses; Bob Carlisle, I Love You; Amy Grant, I Do; Westlife**

**This, my lovely faithful and loyal readers is the final chapter for this story, but never fear! I am leaving you a teaser which will be posted within this story after this chapter. So I hope to see all of you there as well as new readers! Thanks again for all of your wonderful words! I really appreciate them all!**

**Also I want to apologize for taking so long to post this. Things have been hectic and I have had computer problems. Mostly where msword wants to keep losing have of the chapter I am working on for the new story every time my computer runs out of battery power and shuts down. Or when it updates while I'm asleep. This is what I get for not remembering to save before I leave!**

**Also thank you to Dark-Wiccan-Goddess for pointing out the formatting error! **

**Chapter Twenty Four**

**The Epilogue**

It was two months after the birth of their baby girl, Harmony Lyric, that Tommy and Jude finally announced their engagement to everyone. They chose to make their grand announcement on her return to work and the party welcoming her back and welcoming Harmony into the G-Major family. Everyone wanted to throttle them for holding out for two whole months but they were also overjoyed that the pair _finally_ came to this stage of their relationship and their lives. Sadie and Karma immediately offered to help plan the wedding and Karma even managed to not try and manipulate her way into the bridal party! Actually she seemed quite content to just be involved in the planning.

While Darius couldn't take credit for introducing them he fully took credit for their opportunity to make it this far both in the business and with each other. "After all if I hadn't bought the label from Georgia you two would never have worked together past your first album!" That was his little prideful moment, right before he offered to finance the entire event with the minor stipulation of course that a few select media personnel could attend. Reluctantly he even agreed to allow them to choose which ones could attend, so long as he also got the feature story and best photos for _Solid_.

All in all in the six months it took them to put the spring wedding together things went smoothly for a change. No one was in an accident, or kidnapped. The only high stress moment between the couple was when it came to telling and inviting his mother and brother. In the end he gave in of course and to his surprise they'd both agree to attend and his brother promised to keep himself and their mother in line and not ruin the event in any fashion. Tristan had cheated of course and used Jude's name to pull it off, for some reason while she still couldn't stand Tom she was warming, seeming to come more into the now as she was absolutely in love with Jude and wanted the girl to be a permanent fixture in her life, even if Tom was the method it took.

In the middle of all the planning Sadie even managed to track down their absent parents, though the only one Jude was willing to allow at the wedding was their father no matter what she or Tom said. Tom couldn't even use the fact she'd talked him into having his mother and brother there to his defense. So in the end Sadie and Tom took the win they had and left well enough alone, getting him ready to walk his baby girl down the isle and convincing him Tom was really the best person for his youngest daughter and the best father for his first grandchild, especially seeing as he is the biological father.

--

On Sunday April 21st nearly a thousand people were assembled in the backyard of one of Darius' mansions on white folding chairs. The isle side of the chairs is trimmed in white and pastel blue ribbons and carnations with baby's breath. On the ground is a red carpet leading up to the gazebo that had been assembled and all the way back to an arch covered in vines and white roses which would serve as the starting place for the wedding party.

Darius had set up a room for the men to prepare in and one for the women on opposite sides of the mansion with their own entrances, mostly to make it easier for them to keep Tom and Jude apart until the ceremony. The previous night he'd even had the entire wedding party sleep here at the mansion to force the couple to stick to that particular wedding tradition, so you can imagine how antsy the two of them are after being apart for over twenty-four hours. Though if the bridal party were to compare notes this morning the men would swear Tom was worse than his future wife having been kept not only from Jude but Harmony on top of it! The man had been climbing the walls until Kwest snuck a few shots into him, enough to mellow him out but not end up with him plastered and then hung over for his wedding. After all he did value his own life.

The men are now in their prep room helping Tom get dressed, keep his nerves reasonably calm with his usual cup of coffee, and of course working on his vows. After scraping the twentieth set he throws his hands up in frustration, his sleeves flapping around as he hadn't put the cufflinks in yet, "Why did I agree to this?!"

Jamie looks up, still shocked he had even been allowed to be involved, asked in fact, asks; "The wedding or the vows?"

Tom looks at him as though he's the biggest idiot in the world, "Of course the vows Andrews!"

Kwest and Speid both roll their eyes but it's Speid for a change that gets up to diffuse the situation when he sees Tom start to get that seething look he gets right before he does something stupid. He walks up beside him and lightly lays an arm around the older man's shoulder despite the death glare he receives, "Look Squinty, you've helped dude write beautiful music for years now the words are in you dude. What you've got to do is relax and think about her. View this as though it's just going to be the two of you and you want to verbalize what she already knows. You want her to hear from you just what she means to you, just what she is to you, and why you want to spend the rest of your life by her side. Just think like a musician."

It's not until Speid is about half way done talking that they can all see Tom start to simmer down and even fall into deep thought. "Could you guys excuse me for a few minutes? I promise I'm not sneaking off to see her. I don't care if you guys guard the door; I just need a few minutes alone to do this."

They all nod but while Darius, Jamie, and Kwest all walk out of the room Speid stays for a minute, "Look I know we've not always gotten along Tom, but you're marrying my best friend so I don't want this truce to remain an act we put on for her sake. I don't love her in the same sense you do, but I do love her and her happiness is the most important thing to me, to all of us. I saw it first, what is really between you two, before the relationship. I've known for a long time that you had her heart in a way no one else ever…" His sentence dies as Tom interrupts him.

"Look Vin, no offense I know you're her best friend but Jamie beat you to the protecting her lecture, as did Stuart before him," Tom interjects.

"This isn't about that. I'm not asking you to take care of her or protect her. I figured those two would do that so I've taken it upon myself to cover something no one else is going to. After all your mom is a bit off, no offense, and I have no idea what the situation is with your dad dude's never filled me in, but I know he's not out there." He pauses putting his hands in the pockets of his slacks as he rocks back and forth on his heels nervously. He knows what he wants to say and that he's right, but he's still unsure how Quincy is going to react. "So the point I am trying to make is this; let her take care of you. It's no secret you'll take care of her, everyone knows that. But I know the hardest part for you is letting her take care of you. I've watched your self-destructive pattern whenever you're hurting and while she's the only one who seems capable of diffusing you, you still don't let her take care of you. You're both going to need that. It's actually more important than people realize that something so simple is a two-way street. It doesn't mean you can't go talk to Kwest or any of us about something, like when she's the reason, you know before you talk to her. She'll probably do the same thing, but it's still you who is going to fix her heart when it breaks, not us. So it needs to be the same with you, stop guarding it. You're marrying her dude." He gives him that nervous goofy smile of his before clapping his hand on Tom's should briefly. He doesn't give Tom a chance to really process what he's said enough to respond before he walks out of the room, leaving him to think and work on his vows and allow him to go lecture his best bud, while a surprise visitor walks into the room in his place.

--

On the other side of the mansion the girls are helping each other into their gowns while Jude paces the floor half dressed trying to figure out her vows as well, in an adjoining room. Speid knocks once before walking into the room looking at his half dressed best friend, by half dressed of course she's just missing the actual gown. He flops down onto the bed in the room lying down on his side as she turns to face him. "Aren't you supposed to be with the guys Vin?"

"Aren't you supposed to be dressed already?" Speid counters with a lopsided grin. "How are the vows coming dude?"

"Ugh! I write songs for a living and I can't for the life of get this worded the way I want it. I mean nearly every song I've ever written has had something to do with him."

"Speeches were never your thing though dude, but music is in your soul. So why not approach it from that side? Or just think about it like you're talking to him and just him. Think about it as if you two are going to be the only ones in the room and you just need to make sure he knows what's inside of you. But then again this is the wedding of a rock star to her producer, so I don't think it's entirely out of line for you to end up singing your vows or something either or at least letting them be lyrical."

She cocks her head to the side staring at him; it still amazes her when he has these utterly brilliant moments. "You're a genius! But that means I'll need your help on piano, think you can do it?"

"Of course Jude, anything you want. It's your day after all. So do you want me to help you into the dress or go get one of the girls? I mean it's the maid of honor's job but you know, traditionally that's a girl…"

"When were we ones for tradition? I was the best man at your wedding after all. So help me into the dress and then see if everyone's ready."

Speid nods and goes to the closet door where her gown is hanging and very carefully takes it down with a gentleness not many even knew he possessed. He looks at the beautiful silk and lace and the simple beauty of the design with a soft shake of his hand before he helps Jude get the dress over her head, careful not to let it touch her hair or make up, before adjusting it in place and slipping all of the eye hooks in place to close the back of the gown. He then shifts the skirt in place and stepping back slightly. He grabs her hands to turn her facing him and looks at her silently. He'd seen her dressed up a million times before, but this was different and far more elegant than anything she'd ever worn. "You look perfect Jude. Tom is the luckiest guy on this earth to have you walking up the isle to meet him today." He kisses her cheek softly. "You'll always be my Lisa you know that right?"

"I know Bart." She smiles almost sadly as her ocean blue eyes fill with tears. She hugs him, careful not to wrinkle the dress as she doesn't want to hear that odd of a lecture from him or worse yet hear it from her sister and the other more feminine people in her wedding party. Besides, this is one day she wanted to look perfect. "All right it's time to get let the girls in and you get back to Tommy. Keep an eye on him for me, oh and get Harmony from Sadie. He should get some time with her before the ceremony, might calm his nerves."

"What makes you think he's nervous?"

"I know him Speid, he's probably heading close to petrified. Has a lot to do with his image of himself, plus his family's here."

He salutes her, "I am on the case then dude! I'll see you when we get started!" Speid leaves the room to pick up his little 'niece' to make the delivery.

--

Finally it's time; the music begins to play as the bridal party makes their way up to the front to stand on either side of the gazebo steps. First it's Kwest and Sadie followed by Speid and Karma, and last Jamie and Zeppelin. The girls are all in beautiful pastel blue strapless dresses with empire waistlines and a dark blue six inch hem. Their hair is simply pulled back and curled behind them with little music note clips on either side of their heads for decoration. None of them hold bouquets at Jude's request, to her it seemed a waste and cruel to the flowers and fake ones seemed pretentious for so many bouquets. The men each wore tuxes with pastel blue cummerbunds to match the girls. Once everyone was in their rightful place a few whispers broke out in the crowd at the odd display as all but one guy was on Tommy's side, and all the girls on Jude's, the oddity of course is the fact Speid stands in front of all of the girls in the order from the steps. Like Kwest he had a rose in his lapel. Speid's is white while Kwest's is blue and of course both are silk.

As they wait for the song to begin that will announce Jude's approach Tommy's mind wanders back to the conversation he'd had with a very surprising party…

_"Tom Quincy… I never thought you'd get married again after everything. I honestly thought you might be too afraid to let yourself really love someone other than yourself, but here you are. Despite everything you think and all that happened I'm proud of you. I know you still have doubts but you haven't let it stop you from going after her. Just because our marriage failed is no reason to fear this one will, we were doomed from the start you and I. But you and Jude are meant for each other. She's everything you need Tom, but don't be afraid to let her be that. Don't let yourself be so afraid you cut yourself off again. You gave her your heart maybe from the moment you really saw her and didn't even realize it, but now you need to learn to let her take care of it. She won't disappoint you, I promise." Portia says without giving him a chance to even think of interrupting her. She hugs him a moment before pulling him back and looking at him again. "We were kids Tom, but you're not any more and neither is she. You two have a beautiful baby girl and a love most of us will search for our whole lives and never find. Cherish it, okay?"_

_"What if you're wrong Portia? I don't know the first thing about being a husband… I still can't help trying to run whenever my family's involved or bad emotions." He frowns staring at his ex-wife oddly, it felt weird to talk about things like this with her and not hear hatred in her voice or envy or even jealousy. He'd heard so much of it when he had dated Sadie. _

_"She doesn't know any more about how to be a wife. The idea is to learn together, to work through things _together_ after today you are in a lot of ways one. You just have to realize you're right where you belong and that you are more than worthy of her. We all know you doubt that, but we all know better. She helped us see what you could be, and she can help you if you let her. You know she believes in you, and it matters to you more than anyone else's opinion of you ever did; including your own family. She'll be your guiding light Tom, if you let her."_

He shakes his head slightly to clear the thoughts, a half smile on his lips as _White Lines_ begins to play and he turns to face the arch at the opposite end of the carpet from him just as the rest of the crowd turns to watch. He can't help his smile as it grows watching her walk towards him on her father's arm bearing a smile more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen.

Her ocean blue eyes trimmed in silver with lashes painted obsidian lock onto Tommy's the moment she steps into view and her white slippers press onto the red carpet. Her arm is looped with her father's and in her hands she holds two blue roses and one white one. Her hair is curled and pinned up with the ever growing red roots showing beautifully against the fading platinum blond, a few strands hanging free and curled to perfection. Her gown is simple but elegant, ground length with no real train, an empire waist line halter top of white satin with tiny baby blue music notes embroidered into it while the skirt is simply white silk that hangs loose but flows softly around her. Her lips are painted a soft nude color and accented by clear shimmering gloss.

As she finally reaches her place next to Tommy as her father hands her away Pagan says, "Who here gives this girl to this man?"

"Her daughter, her sister, her friends, and I do." Stuart says before kissing Jude's cheek and taking his place in the front row of people between Portia and Yvette, taking his grand baby from Portia gently as he watches the wedding continue and attempts not to cry.

"Today we are gathered here to acknowledge and take witness of the joining of two destined souls; Thomas Dutois and Jude Harrison. To give social recognition to their decision to commit their lives and accept each other completely, to learn how to help and understand each other, to build a family, and together, to travel through life.

Tom and Jude also wish to thank each one of you for being here with them on this special day and they hope you will always be in their lives, and will always support and encourage them as they discover the commitment and dedication needed to make marriage work; so, this invitation is not just for one afternoon, it is an open invitation to be a part of their life.

While I myself have not known these two for very long I have heard from all those who have been near them from the beginning that they share something you simply don't see every day. They share a love and a bond that can stand not only the test of time but any other obstacle life chooses to put in front of them.

Do you Thomas Dutois; take Jude Harrison to be your friend, your lover and your wife, to cherish and to love her more and more with each passing day, to respect and to support her in all that she does?" He asks turning to Tommy.

"With all my heart I do." Tommy replies, his hands holding hers, thumbs brushing against the backs as he smiles and can't seem to tear his eyes from hers.

Pagan turns to Jude then, "Do you Jude Harrison; take Thomas Dutois to be your friend, your lover and your husband, to cherish and to love him more and more with each passing day, to respect and to support him in all that he does?"

Jude sniffs once trying to keep the tears of joy and maybe even shock from spilling from her sparkling blue eyes as she looks at Tommy, knowing soon they'll be together for always, when this day is done. "With all I am I do."

"May I have the rings please?" He nods as Kwest and Speid hand him the respective rings before he continues. "Now being musicians Tom and Jude have chosen to do things a little differently and perform their vows. Tom…" He motions for Tom to begin as Speid takes his place at the piano, having been asked of course by both the bride and groom to be of assistance.

When the music begins he brings Jude's hands closer, bending her fingers gently against his hands so he can press them softly against his chest as he begins.

_Tell me can you feel my heart beat_

_Tell me as I kneel down at your feet_

_I knew there would come a time_

_When these two hearts would entwine_

_Just put your hand in mine_

_Forever_

_For so long I have been an island_

_Where no one could ever reach these shores_

_We've got a whole lifetime to share_

_And I'll always be there, darling this I swear_

_So please believe me _

_For these words I say are true_

_And I hope that I'll be, yeah_

_A lifetime loving you_

_If you ask will I be true_

_Do I give my all to you_

_Then I will say_

_I do_

_I'm ready to begin this journey_

_When I'm with you every step you take_

_And we've got a whole lifetime to share_

_And I'll always be there, darling this I swear_

_So please believe me _

_For these words I say are true_

_And I hope that I'll be, yeah_

_A lifetime will be whole_

_If you ask will I be true_

_Do I give my all to you_

_Then I will say_

_I do_

As his voice fades and the music stops he takes the ring from Pagan, slipping in onto her ring finger before bringing her hand up and kissing it softly.

"Now Jude…"

As Pagan says her name she nods towards Speid closing her eyes for a brief moment before beginning as the soft notes from the piano surround her and she begins her own lyrical vow to the man she loves.

_You were pretty crazy  
Back when we fell in love  
Wanting to be everything  
That I would be proud of  
Hours we spent dreaming  
How we'd beat the odds  
Now the truth has hit us  
Life is very hard  
Life can be so hard_

_I love you  
Deeper than I ever dreamed of  
I need you  
Staying here 'til we can work it out  
I want you  
Knowing that through all the changes  
I love you  
Somehow I just had to tell you now_

_Oh to stay your princess  
If I only could  
If you never saw the rotten  
Only saw the good  
You'd still be Prince Charming  
But we would never know  
How it's in the darkest times  
True love finally grows  
Come on true love grow_

_I love you  
Deeper than I ever dreamed of  
I need you  
Staying here 'til we can work it out  
I want you  
Knowing that through all the changes  
I love you  
Somehow I just had to tell you now_

_You got me, I got you  
Sometimes it takes a little working through  
But I can tell you now _

_I love you  
Deeper than I ever dreamed of  
I need you  
Staying here 'til we can work it out  
I want you  
Knowing that through all the changes  
I love you  
Somehow I just had to tell you now_

As the music fades she takes the ring from Pagan, slipping it onto his ring finger as she says, like a soft whispered ending to the song; "I love you…"

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Pagan looks at Tommy and motions towards Jude, "You may kiss your bride."

Tommy grins and doesn't hesitate as closes the small distance between them taking either side of her face gently into his hands, fingers curling towards the back of her head beneath her ears. He lowers his own head kissing her ever so softly but all of his love and passion is still felt likely by all in attendance but at the least by her.

When they pull apart Pagan bows his head a moment before announcing to the crowd, "I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dutois."

--

It's an hour into the reception and after the food has been served and enjoyed before those who planned to give speeches on this wonderful occasion prepare themselves. Kwest is the first to stand and tap his wine glass softly with his spoon to quiet down the crowd and gain their attention. "Now as the best man it's my job to give the first speech. I'm horrible at these things so bear with me." He smiles nervously as the crowd chuckles before he continues, "I've known Tom a long time and I knew from the night of Jude's sweet sixteen that he was falling hard and fast for her. I warned him of it, he even assured me he wasn't that guy, and he knew she was out of bounds because of her age. I also could see it wasn't and didn't stop him. The thing is you can't stop real love, the kind of once in a lifetime soul mate kind of thing these two have isn't something you can stop. They had their ups and downs; especially when Tom let his fear get in the way or his opinion of himself drive him away. That's probably why they go so well together, she's too fiery spirited to let him get away for long or put up with his crap. She challenged him and still does every step of the way. She lets him know when he's screwed up, she's not afraid to; but at the same time she loves him with a purity and passion you don't see every day. It was easy for me to see she loved him from the start in a way no one else ever had or could. He even made the mistake of dating her sister Sadie, no offense babe, to try and forget about his feelings for Jude. But that's the thing, with a love like theirs it's impossible to replicate or replace.

"When he first came back from New Brunswick after they'd had a falling out he had thought he'd lost her for good but he still chose to fight and try and get her to forgive him. He pulled out all the stops, but none of the things he usually did when he made a mistake with a woman. The things he did to try and get her to give him one more chance were heart felt acts of love and devotion, which is why I think they started to soften her up. But our rock star is stubborn and it took her a while to cave, not until after she found out she was very pregnant with little Harmony.

"I guess you could say she had a little to do with Jude finally opening her eyes to the man in front of her. Tom was different when he came home; he wasn't the same man any of us were used to. He was heart broken and so deeply in love he couldn't see anything else. I've seen him do a lot of things women would consider romantic when he made mistakes in the past, but the things he did to try and show Jude just how sorry he was for his mistakes and how much he loved her were unlike anything else he had ever done. Some were things he swore he'd never do. Like when he enlisted Sadie's help and mine to sing for Jude, or the concert where he sang to her for the first time in front of a crowd. He made certain she along with everyone who heard him knew just how he felt, but he also swore he'd wait until she was ready no matter how long it took.

"He did wait too, it took a car accident and visiting his family again to pull Jude away from her fears enough to let him back in all the way. They've been inseparable since, despite numerous fights. Now here we are on their wedding day and I have to say that I have never known or heard of a couple more in love than these two or more meant for each other. Despite all the ups and downs they've faced, more than the ones I've mentioned, they always found their way back to each other. So I wish you both all the love and luck in the world. I hope when it's our turn Sadie and I can have the beautiful life you two are beginning today." Kwest lifts his glass before sitting down next to Sadie, blushing when he realizes just how much he's babbled.

Speid stands then raising his own glass with a childish laugh and grin. "Well that was an interesting speech Kwest man. Well I've known Jude since we were kids but we didn't become the best friends we are now until after my band became her back up band and we dated and broke up. But I knew from the first time I saw Squinty and my Lisa in the studio together just talking that there was more love between them than most married couples fifty years in have. He had her heart and he didn't even know it, sometimes she seemed to forget it too or try anyway. I think that's part of why she agreed to date me and almost went back to our pal Jamie. But I knew she only had eyes for him and he would always have her heart. In the time I've known Tom as a producer I've watched them together and she is the only person who can calm him down and make him see reason when he would otherwise blow his top. She's the only one who can read him. They truly belong together.

"Jude, Tom, I'm not going to wish you anything really because I know I don't have to. I know without a doubt you two will have a long and loving marriage that Karma and I only hope to mirror. I truly want us to learn from the two of you how to stay strong and get through anything together the way you two always do. No matter what happens you always come back to each other without a second thought. I know you two will be the best parents any kid could ask for too; because you will love your daughter with the same whole hearted devotion that you love each other with. So instead what I wish is that the rest of us learn from the two of you how to love our spouses and our children with the same passion the two of you do. Squinty, take good care of my Lisa and remember what I told you and Lisa, take good care of Squinty here. You two belong together; let no one ever convince you different." Speid bows his head before sitting down beside his wife.

Stuart stands next, "I know it's not really my job to give a speech but I have something to say thought I will attempt to keep it short. Tom, I know I didn't always approve of your relationship with either of my girls, but when it came to Jude I think part of that was the father in me not being ready to let my baby girl go. You are older than her by seven years and to a father that's almost a lifetime of difference especially with the reputation you had. But I know you love Jude and Harmony and I know you will be a good father and husband to the girls. I know I didn't always make you feel welcomed though and I want to change that now if you'll let me. If you ever need to talk, man to man you can come to me. Whether you have questions about being a father or a husband or just want a man to talk to who has been where you are, you can talk to me. I welcome you into my heart, my home, and my family; not just because you are marrying my daughter and are the father of my first grand baby but because of the love and devotion I see in you for my baby girl. The way you have cared for her right from the start, you are a good man Tom."

Stuart's speech most of all got to Tom, he had never allowed himself to believe he'd be this fully accepted by the man considering the age difference and all the drama surrounding the time he's known both of his daughters. Then the man had to go and shock him, on his wedding day no less! His eyes widen further as his ex wife stands and looks at him and Jude.

"I've known Tom Quincy for many years, much like Darius, and I knew him well. I was around for his partying playboy ways and the endless string of models feeding his addiction. Then he went to work for Georgia as a favor, producing the first winner of her contest, Instant Star, and he met Jude. I heard a lot about them during the time Shay and Darius spent around the label in their first year working together. I was there when he started dating her older sister Sadie and she came into the lobby one morning to see it looking like, as she put it, a model bomb went off. She rightly accused him of cheating on her based on his past and the evidence supporting the accusation; but Jude knew something neither of us did so she took his side against her own sister. It wasn't until I foolishly talked to her and convinced Kwest to in his own way back me up that she started to doubt the faith she had placed in him. But as with everything between those two the bad times didn't last. It wasn't long before she realized, along with the rest of us, what a true heart broken Tom looked like.

He was great at playing the wounded puppy for the girlfriend, but the look he had when Jude shoved him into the hot tub and took her faith and belief in him was something no one had seen. But that's the thing, most of us have simply known Tom Quincy and Little Tommy Q; but Jude knows Tom Dutois. Jude knows and loves every side of him, every part of him. That's what will make their marriage outlast the strongest. Jude, in a lot of ways I envy you because of that. But over time I think you're bringing out that man for the rest of us to see instead of the mask he's been for so long. You're the real wife and the best one he could ever dream of finding. I only hope some day the rest of us can find in someone what you two have found in each other; a love to last a life time." Portia lifts her glass to them before closing the distance between herself and Jude; she leans over and kisses the bride's cheek before returning to her seat.

When the meal is over and the dancing begins Speid takes the stage at Stuarts and Tommy's mutual request to perform a song that suits the love they both have for their daughters. "Tom and Stuart are more alike than they realize, during the planning of this wedding both of them came to me on separate occasions to request I sing a particular song for the dance Jude will share with her father, and Tom wishes to share with his daughter. So if both fathers will come to the front with their daughters…" He smiles waiting for the men to take their places before his fingers dance over the piano keys on the stage Darius' had set up for the event.

_There's two things I know for sure.  
She was sent here from heaven,  
And she's daddy's little girl.  
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night,  
she talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes.  
And I thank God for all of the joy in my life, But most of all, for... _

_  
_Resting one hand on her father's shoulder and the other in his larger hand Jude smiles up at her father, her ocean blue eyes still filled with adoration. Despite all that had happened in her teens between the two of them she still loves him and adores him the way all daddy's girls do. As he sways with her to the music and Speid's voice her dress fluttering around her.

_  
Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer.  
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair.  
"Walk beside the pony daddy, it's my first ride."  
"I know the cake looks funny daddy, but I sure tried."  
Oh, with all that I've done wrong,  
I must have done something right  
To deserve a hug every morning,  
And butterfly kisses at night._

_Sweet Sixteen today,  
She's looking like her momma  
a little more everyday.  
One part women, the other part girl.  
To perfume and makeup,  
From ribbons and curls.  
Trying her wings out in a great big world. _

_But I remember... _

_  
_Tommy holds Harmony against his chest in her pretty little white dress with baby blue music notes embroidered into the skirt and a blue ribbon around the waist tied in a bow behind her. For the wedding Portia had woven baby's breath into the little girls copper colored curls as short as they are barely even reaching her chin in a feathery thin mess.

_  
Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer.  
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair.  
"You know how much I love you daddy,  
But if you don't mind,  
I'm only going to kiss you on the cheek this time."  
With all that I've done wrong,  
I must have done have something right.  
To deserve her love every morning,  
And butterfly kisses at night._

_All the precious time  
Like the wind, the years go by  
Precious butterfly  
Spread you wings and fly_

_She'll change her name today.  
She'll make a promise, and I'll give her away.  
Standing in the bride room just staring at her,  
she asked me what I'm thinking, and I said "I'm not sure,  
I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."  
Then she leaned over...and gave me..._

_Butterfly kisses, with her momma there  
Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair  
"Walk me down the aisle daddy, it's just about time"  
"Does my wedding gown look pretty daddy?" "Daddy don't cry"  
With all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right  
To deserve her love every morning,  
And butterfly kisses  
I couldn't ask God for more, man, this is what love is  
I know I gotta let her go, but I'll always remember  
Every hug in the morning, and butterfly kisses.._

The last verse both fathers joined Speid in singing to their daughters softly so only their girls could hear them as the song slowly comes to an end as does their dance. When the last keys of the piano fade away Stuart walks Jude over to Tom and gives him her hand as he takes his grand daughter from her father and holds her close moving to the edge of the crowd to sway back and forth as the first dance for the couple begins, once again performed by Speid.

_In your eyes, I found the greatest prize  
You and I could not be closer  
And in your arms, is everything I want  
Now I know my search is over_

_And I don't know where you take me  
But it's exactly where I wanna be_

_It's where the stars line up  
It's where the ocean's touch  
It's in a place you've never been that feels like home  
It's in the air right now  
It's when you give your all, and give a little more  
I've never been so sure, that's where you find love_

_  
_After the first chorus Tom begins singing along with Speid softly to his wife as his forehead rests softly against hers while they dance. Her arms are wrapped loosely around his neck while his are looped lightly around her waist, fingers pressed gently into the small of her back.

_  
People pass, and listen to us laugh  
Wishing that they had the same thing  
And our friends they ask, how we made it last  
I just smile and say the same thing_

_I'm not sure how we got here  
Baby I'm just glad that we got here_

_It's where the stars line up  
It's where the ocean's touch  
It's in a place you've never been that feels like home  
It's in the air right now  
It's when you give your all, and give a little more  
I've never been so sure, that's where you find love  
That's where you find love_

_It's where the stars line up  
It's where the ocean's touch  
It's in the place and everything that feels like home_

_It's in the air right now  
It's when you give your all, and give a little more  
I've never been this sure, that's where you find love_

_Find love  
That's where you find love_

As the song ends Speid takes a bow before leaving the stage and allowing the band Darius had hired to take over playing the music as others joined the newlyweds on the dance floor so to speak, including Speid and his wife and the rest of the couples which form the bridal party.

Slowly the reception winds down and it's time for things like cutting the cake and throwing the bouquet and the garter. Of course this means with as silly as Jude and Tommy can be they end up wearing more of their cake than eating it and briefly causes a cake fight amongst most of the bridal party as well as Portia and Darius. Once things were cleaned up and the tossing began oddly enough Kwest caught the garter and Sadie caught the bouquet. Neither is entirely certain that the rest of the bridal party didn't plan it that way, but they choose not to argue with it or investigate the concept.

All in all the wedding was beautiful, but the best part to them is when they head to the limo, of course provided by Darius, the crowd throwing silk rose pedals as they pass through with Tommy carrying Harmony. For the night they would be taking the limo to their place and leaving on a plane early the next morning to Thailand with Kwest and Sadie, Speid and Karma where the seven of them will spend a month, Kwest, Sadie, Speid, and Karma of course are there partially on baby sitting duty. The four of them will take turns watching Harmony whenever needed to give the newlyweds the privacy they need without the worry of leaving their baby thousands of miles away and allow the God parents of their child to have a vacation themselves. So as the couple prepares to climb in the limo they take one more moment to wave to their guests and shout a loud thanks to the ones responsible for helping them put together the wedding in such a short time and for being there through everything they've gone through, before driving off into the night…

**Now here is a teaser for the new story. Keep in mind this is just bits and pieces from randomly within the first chapter.**

**World Instant Star: The New Generation**

**Episode 101**

_Don't you wonder what happened to the very first instant star at the end of her contract under the reign of Darius? London came calling and she answered, leaving behind all the things that kept her grounded and all the things she loved most in the world. She decided she needed to spread her wings and try life on her own for a change. In her wake she left behind a devastated ex produce/ex fiancé, heart broken friends, and me; and a very lonely older sister. I pretended to be strong when she called to check in, or when she called crying because she missed him and couldn't say it to him, though they spoke every day. After the first year her calls to me became less frequent, but still working for G-Major alongside Tom I knew their calls hadn't lessened since the day she'd left. _

On June 21st they were married and ten months later Jude gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and the three of them returned to Toronto to start their lives amongst their friends and family. They invest their time and money into NBR, helping Jamie and Zeppelin expand the company and slowly gain more artists.

_It's a good thing Darius convinced all of us to keep an open mind as I sit here in the audience with the rest of the board watching the final two performances. For me it's like de ja vu given the two final acts we're witnessing, but this time we even have Darius in the audience. When he found out we were making an exception to the rules he had to see for himself why. After all he never thought we'd take his words to heart, that we would keep things eighteen and over especially considering the winner will most likely be from another country and minors made that complicated. I can't help grinning and nearly laughing as I catch the expression on D's face during the first performance…_

Jude leans towards Jamie half way through the woman's song, "Sort of reminds you of Eden doesn't it?"

"In a very de ja vu sort of way, and isn't her name Eva?" Jamie questions as he tries to keep a stoic expression during their little whispered conversation.

"I think she might be worse than Eden… If it's possible I think she's even more fake!" Shay whispers to the pair with a slight chuckle and a sheepish expression thinking back to their teens.

_As the lights set about changing I can't help being taken back to the moment my baby sister took the stage the night of the final performance of the original competition. It was almost as if I could feel the change in the air again just like I had that night. I knew things were going to change with this contest and this performance, our very lives would change, and I am the only one who knows it…_

Sadie turns to Jude, "It's like watching you all over again."

"It's like looking in a mirror almost. You said she's fifteen didn't you?" Jude questions her sister, who nods while they both continue to watch the performance in complete awe.

"And the winner is…"

**I hope to see all of you when this story makes its debut! Ciao!**


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